Let Slip The Dogs Of War
by korrc1
Summary: A fallen son. A war approaching. And the Time Lady hybrid caught in the middle. When a figure from a traumatic childhood experience reemerges in his life, Loki struggles to cope with his new foreign emotions. As a new war with the Frost Giants becomes imminent, he must work with a woman he barely knows to save Midgard. But can he really be...a hero? Post Avengers, 10 canon. OFC
1. Chapter 1: Reunions

A/N: Hello! Thank you for reading. I hope you are intrigued. If you have any questions, please ask them and I will try to clarify. Also, feel free to review if you are so inclined. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful beta reader, Alexandra the Dreamer, who has been a great help. Enjoy!

The Shadow Of A Dream

SECTION ONE: REUNIONS OF THE DANGEROUS SORT

She exhaled slowly, evaluating her options as she warily eyed the loosely restrained door. The oversized blue creatures with inexplicable ice powers gathering outside of her temporary hideout were not about to just go away without a fight, and she didn't have the strength to hold them off without risking serious injury. If she ran away, as her occasional mentor and friend was one to suggest as a viable option when facing danger, she risked dragging innocent civilians from the nearby towns into a war they could not survive. She sighed and breathed deeply, trying to bring her rapid pulse down a little to a more manageable level. It was a struggle, the adrenaline only aggravating the problem brought on by having two hearts in her body.

At some point, Avalon Granger was going to get used to the premise that danger lurked around every potential corner and on every adventure she underwent. After all, she was half Time Lady; it practically came as a job description that safety was optional on the best days and completely forgotten on the worst ones.

The Doctor, her mentor who was a full Time Lord, had explained it to her as best as he could the first time she climbed aboard the TARDIS after a particularly dicey encounter with the Judoon. "Adventuring, time traveling, running away, whatever you want to call it...well it has ups and downs. Occasionally a lot of downs. You make friends and lose them forever, sometimes simultaneously. It can be a lonely life, a terrifying one. Every once in a while, you're all alone in the universe, and the safety of the galaxy rests in your skinny hands." He looked down, pensive. "But that's the gift and the curse of your heritage, love." He looked straight at her, his eyes piercing daggers into her hearts. "If nothing else, the greatest thing you can do to respect the sacrifices of those who came before you is live. Live for all of us Time Lords, for those who are dead and those who are lost, those who will never see friendship and those who must sever the friendships they make. Live and love and treat all the species you meet with a common respect, and then you'll be able to find the light of excitement in the darkest of places. Trust me; it's good for your sanity. When you live longer than most men can comprehend, the little things make all the difference."

The TARDIS had lurched suddenly then, and they'd gone flying into another dimension, the Doc laughing all the while. But Avalon had never forgotten that advice of looking for the good in the bad circumstances. Right now, however, she was struggling to find a positive in this dark circumstance. For a second, she honestly wished for the TARDIS to come crashing through right now. She could really use some advice about avoiding monsters that appeared to hold a serious grudge against her...although for what she wasn't entirely sure (perhaps it lay in her future timeline, a prospect she really was not looking forward to. Although, knowing her, odds were high she had started the conflict. The things her snarky mouth got her into...)

As the thought crossed her mind, there was a sudden whoosh of displaced air behind her. Avalon didn't breathe, afraid of misinterpreting things around her out of a psychological need to be saved. But when she felt a pair of eyes on her, a smile subconsciously crossed her face. He really did have the best timing. "You finally reworked the landing, mate?" she asked, turning around to face what she assumed to be the Doctor. It was not.

Her well-traveled mentor prided himself on his ability to belong, to fit in until his inquisitive mind got the better of him. So unless he had decided at some point in the past few years that Viking armor was 'cool' or that oversized horned helmets were the new fez...some other individual had inexplicably come to her aid.

"Sorry to be unappreciative, but who the hell are you?" Avalon demanded of the mysterious stranger, feeling the air thrum with a new and foreign energy. He looked her over, clearly struggling to find the words to explain himself. His short black hair was slicked back, and he seemed extremely pale. For a moment, Avalon considered the possibility he was a vampire. It wouldn't be the first time that she had attracted strange people.

She looked into his deep green eyes, searching for answers. They were vivid and bursting with life, and something about them just seemed so familiar. It hovered in the air between them, on the edge of Avalon's memory. She couldn't place it, but she was almost certain that she had met this strange man before.

Before she could ask any more questions, the door shattered. A blue creature (Frost Giant, a gentle voice echoed in her head. She ignored it) thrust his way through, icicles dangling from his massive hands. Avalon quietly swore in Gallifreyan, grabbing for her sword. Before she could draw, the...Frost Giant threw his icicle beam at her with laser-like accuracy.

Expecting to get hit, Avalon was stunned to be thrown to the ground. An unfamiliar weight covered her, protecting her from the blast. She quickly realized that the stranger had thrown her out of harm's way, determined to keep her alive. Now, he was staring down the Frost Giant, who seemed almost thrilled at the face-off. They paced in a circle, each eyeing for potential weaknesses of the other. The man's hands were glowing bright green, and sparks of energy seemed to fly off of them. Avalon realized that he must have some sort of magical training. Clearly, he needed it; he was rather lithely built with some muscle but not an extraordinary amount.

As the man placed his back to the opening where the door had been, another Frost Giant poked its head through. Avalon saw the danger, and rapidly evaluated the situation. There was no time for a warning; he was directly in the line of fire. Without considering anything, Avalon threw herself at the mysterious man, knocking him out of harm's way. The Frost Giant's aim wavered at the motion in front of his target, and the ice dagger splintered into multiple pieces. One of the pieces pierced Avalon's abdomen.

Blood began oozing out of the wound. Avalon looked down, fighting the urge to panic. It really wasn't that bad of an injury, she told herself, even as her best attempts to staunch the bleeding failed. Exhaustion, brought on by the cold as much as the injury, kicked in. Avalon hit the ground, feeling her body grow very heavy. It was a foreign sensation, one she couldn't cope with. The thought crossed her mind that she was losing a lot of blood (She was hardly afraid of death at this point. Worried about re-generating and waking up in a different body that she would have to learn all over again, yes, but not dying...)

A second set of hands covered her own, the pressure drawing Avalon back to the present. Instinctively, she looked up into the striking green eyes of the stranger, who had apparently sent the Frost Giants packing. Something in his face displayed naked fear and terror. Suddenly, Avalon was able to place the face. It had been a long time for her; at least 15 years from her end, which was extensive with all the other adventures she'd taken in between. She remembered those green eyes that had belonged to a young boy who had been lost on the tundra of Vinland, screaming for his father and the Bifrost. As the blackness washed over her, pulling her deeper into its depths, she whispered the name, the name that was suddenly in the front of her mind as though it had been yesterday.

"Loki..."

#####

He remembers the fear. Granted, he had been 10 at the time; many things had scared him to some extent, some more irrational than others (Thor swears that he used to have nightmares of snakes growing up, which he doubts were as extensive as his brother insists. Perhaps that's why he is so eager to show off by creating them out of thin air, so willing to laugh at the men who shy away from them out of surprise and sudden panic. He always had a complex relationship with his childhood fears).

But being alone, without his family or anything familiar, lost in a realm he knew nothing about...that sudden panic had overpowered his senses, leaving him unable to think straight through the sheer weight of it. It scared him. (Had he fully understood the implications of being alone, or known that when he grew up he would seek out loneliness and choose to separate himself from his brother and his parents, perhaps the terror would have lessened. He cannot say for sure whether this would be true). The scariest part had been the lack of explanation. He'd just hit the ground, fallen through a crack of some sort between the worlds in the middle of finding the perfect hiding place during Hide and Seek because he was going to beat his brother at something.

The only other clear vision he has of that time is of her. She had arrived, rising from the cold fog when he was screaming for his father and terrified. She had shared her makeshift fire, hugged him and let him cry when he'd been too scared to think. She had made him laugh with her stories and distracted him with an explanation of how she was different from humans (to this day the double heartbeat he had felt with a hesitant finger is one of the more mysterious things he has discovered. It's never been duplicated in all of his adventures across the Nine Realms). The human mortals, clearly intimidated by his inexplicable arrival, had attempted to hurt him, and she had protected him. He owed her his life (perhaps that was an exaggeration...or perhaps not. Such debts were often thrown about by warriors in the heat of battle, and he sometimes scoffed at them, but in this case, he was not so willing to laugh off such a claim).

When his father had finally arrived, he'd willingly returned to the palace and the world he knew far away, but not before saying goodbye. She had promised him that they would meet again someday, and he had expected it to happen eventually. When he had found her on Midgard, he couldn't contain his excitement and trepidation. But when he'd realized that the Frost Giants were chasing her...

She couldn't die today. That was his oath, his promise to himself. He was going to fight tooth and nail to save her life. After all, that was the least he owed her. He was Loki the Asgardian, Odin's youngest adopted son. And he was going to pay back the debt he owed, by saving her life...

####

Heimdall the Gate Keeper hesitated, not sure how to react to the question addressed to him. Finally, he decided complete honesty was the best policy, especially when dealing with the future king of Asgard. "He went down to Midgard," he said quietly. "I'm not sure where exactly, but he seemed excited about something. Almost electric."

Thor sighed, confused by his brother's behavior. "Loki has never had a taste for the mundane lives of the mortals below," he said. "I hope he's not trying to rule them again; Father would be most displeased. He seemed to be getting back to normal...well, as normal as Loki can be, anyways. Something must have set him off."

Heimdall turned his eye to Midgard, and froze momentarily, focused on the mortal world. Thor saw his expression and fought the urge to panic. Very little unnerved Heimdall. Whatever he was seeing when he looked for Loki amongst the mortals, it could not be good.

"How far are your warrior friends?" Heimdall asked.

Thor considered. "Too far for immediate help. How bad is it?"

"In this instant, it's not something Loki can't handle. But...there are problems. Things that might be an issue later down the line."

Thor frowned. "What exactly are you talking about, fair Heimdall?"

"The Frost Giants have found a way to Midgard," was the explanation. "Based on his actions, Loki had nothing to do with it. I suppose you can ask him yourself..." He paused again, then turned slightly pale, which did nothing to lessen Thor's inner panic. "Thor, you may have to walk back. Your horse will be needed."

The familiar whoosh of the Bifrost distracted Thor from his mild annoyance. There, in the middle of the platform stood his brother, hunched over with the weight of another body. Several questions erupted in Thor's mind, but the look in his brother's eyes stopped them instantly.

Silently, Loki rushed out of the portal, carefully holding a woman who was a stranger close to his chest. Blood was freely flowing out of her abdomen; Thor was no doctor, but he could tell that the wound was not clotting properly. She groaned, clearly in pain, and Thor stepped forward to help his brother lift her onto the horse. Loki shot him a look of gratitude, and slid into the saddle. He looked back, suddenly considering something.

Heimdall strode forward with purpose. "The healers have been informed, Loki. They are expecting you. Ride fast; the more time they have..."

"Thank you," Loki breathed, his jaw setting in a firm expression of determination. "I will do what I can." He kicked the horse, and tore off at a gallop.

Thor and Heimdall stood together, watching Loki's sprint towards the palace. Finally, Thor could not contain his confusion, and he turned towards the Gate Keeper. "I've never seen him so worked up about almost anything. Who is she?"

Heimdall sighed. "The story is not mine to tell, Thor. Perhaps your brother will explain. Right now, he needs your support more than ever. Go to him."

Thor nodded. "I will. Thank you for all of your help." Wordlessly, he took off running towards the palace. No matter what the circumstances were, he would support his brother.

#####

When he rushes her out of Midgard, sprinting off the Bifrost as a man on a mission, he doesn't consider how wrong his actions would appear. His only focus is on her, the woman he lost a long time ago but found again after years of searching. Nothing else registers. By sheer luck, Heimdall is there waiting, preventing Thor from asking too many questions that he doesn't have the answer to. He exchanges basic pleasantries with the Gate Keeper and his brother as he pulls his visitor onto a horse and spurs it rapidly into a gallop towards the healers (he's doing what he can to stop the bleeding, fighting the bile rapidly rising in his throat as the blood continues to slip through his red-stained fingers and her powerful, unique double heartbeat slows down. He feels powerless for the first time in many years, and it kills him a little on the inside that this puzzle is beyond his skill).

He cannot lose her; not so soon after finding her again. Maybe it's a reckless statement, the last remnants of a ten year old who grew up far too fast for his own mental health, but the thought drives him crazy. Some part of him wants to return to the boy she rescued, to the innocent child who never dreamed of taking over Midgard but only wanted to be an equal to his perfect older brother in the eyes of his father. He cannot rationalize his response, his unhealthy need to keep her alive, and that unnerves him. But he's beyond caring.

The doors to the healers are thrown open with a little impulsive magic, but they show no surprise at his sudden entrance. They take Avalon from his sore bloodied hands and snap into sudden action, and Loki feels himself deflate like a balloon suddenly released with no warning. He falls to his knees, the adrenaline that has been driving his every action suddenly flushed out of his system with no explanation. He feels so tired, so exhausted from the consideration that she might not make it out alive, and so alone.

His brother slides next to him; Loki senses him before he does so and says nothing. The hug is not unexpected; in fact, for once it's almost welcoming, although he tenses from the contact as his custom reaction (he's never been much for physical contact, regardless of Thor's customary response). Suddenly he feels the last of his strength evaporate as he leans into his brother's welcoming embrace. He whispers her name impulsively, and Thor tightens his grip, not asking but just supporting. The brothers sit there, letting time pass them by as the healers run around them tending to the stranger with two hearts...


	2. Chapter 2: Memories

She dreams as a coping mechanism, as a method of escape. Sleep is not something she does easily (after all, the threats are all too constant and her heart rate is elevated with unspent adrenaline), but when it comes, she gives in willingly and lets herself be engulfed by the memories.

Vividly, with the clarity and crispness of reality, her world is engulfed by ice and snow and a freezing wind that burns her to the core. Somewhere, in the back of Avalon's head, an overly rational and almost annoying voice reminds her that she's seen this before, that this scene is familiar, so she must be dreaming. She's remembering, reliving one adventure that stood out in years of traveling that have defined her lengthy life on Earth and the other galaxies of the universe.

This one adventure has occasionally overtaken her dreams, and it's a welcome distraction from the hundreds of other nightmares that float through (Daleks are the worst, followed closely by the stone Angels. Images of a massively destructive war a million miles away, a war that claimed her father in its insatiable path, sometimes force her awake from a deep sleep. When she was traveling on the TARDIS, this led to late night tea drinking and awkward half-conversations with the Doctor, verbally dancing around a topic that neither was really mentally ready to discuss for any length of time).

But this adventure was special. She clearly remembers the beginning, how she spent a few moments trying to wrap her head around the loud noise and blinding lights that so clearly didn't belong in the small village in Vinland that she was passing through, a village from the earliest settlements of North America by the traveling Vikings. She figured it was a UFO and considered investigating the aliens who were running the risk of being seen by the superstitious and somewhat overly defensive humans that inhabited this barren snow-filled land. Before she got very far into that consideration, she saw the small shape and heard the hesitant but clearly desperate voice of what could only be a child.

The words made no sense initially. Sure, Avalon had recognized some of them ('Father' was pretty much universal, after all) but others were foreign sounding and harsh on her ears. Overall, though, she picked up his basic predicament: the kid was lost, confused, and alone. He clearly had no idea what had happened to him, and it was frightening for him.

Somehow, some of that struck a chord with her. Maybe it was the loneliness, maybe it was the panic of having the world suddenly shift around you; she really had no idea at the time, and years of dreaming had not made the decision any easier to decipher. Whatever her explanation, she decided to help him. Sure, it was impulsive, but she couldn't stand there and let him freeze.

So she had knelt down and struck up a conversation as she built a makeshift fire. To her surprise, he was rather talkative for having never met her (clearly it was sheer dumb luck she had found him first and not someone who would exploit the lack of stranger fear and the trust that was easily brought to his shining eyes). Once she convinced him that she had no interest in hurting him, he told her all about his father the King of Asgard and his brother Prince Thor who was always running around the palace pretending to fight invisible monsters and saving the day. His name was Loki, and he had the most vibrant green eyes Avalon had ever seen. He was almost adorable. Almost. She couldn't place it, but there was an undercurrent of danger in the kid. Somehow, she had a feeling that he was...she really didn't have a word for it. Terrifying wasn't the right word. Unstable was slightly closer, but also seemed off. For some reason, her premonition, her 'spidey-sense' of sorts was tingling about Loki.

He'd called her mortal, and she'd corrected him, explaining the short version of her unusual biology. This had fascinated him; his eyes had lit up with a curiosity that had made Avalon smile when she let him test her double pulse. That had led to many questions, some more ridiculous than the rest. She had answered the ones she could; satisfied that she'd been able to distract the young boy from his predicament.

Usually, her dreams ended with the image of them sitting next to the fire, him curled up next to her and sleeping lightly as she considered her next options. Rarely does she delve into the arrival of a band of Vikings who found the two strangers huddling for warmth; after all, there are few fights she can remember all the way through clearly (something about Time Lords having a mental need to avoid violence and an avoidance complex...the Doctor had avoided discussing it the few times she had asked. Avalon didn't blame him; he had clearly seen more than his fair share of loss and war).

She remembers the arrival of Odin Allfather, of course. He had practically split the night with his landing, appearing in a flash of light and noise. The Vikings literally did not know what hit them. They bowed, absolutely stunned by the arrival of their 'god'. Loki, recognizing his father, slid out from behind Avalon's back where she had been protecting him from the Viking warriors and ran towards his father.

The reunion was short and sweet. Avalon hadn't been able to stomach all that much of it, to be completely truthful (of course she had daddy issues, although she never let her few friends spread far and wide know how right they were in their accusations. Her father had left one day when she was too young to remember anything more than a Gallifreyan lullaby to fight in the Time War on the other side of the galaxy. He had never returned to Earth and his small family in Wisconsin. Her mother swore he was close, just busy with Time Lord work somewhere around the next star, and had died believing it. Avalon had given up hoping for resolution in her tragic family story until she had first crossed paths with the Doctor and given him a heart attack). She was glad that the kid was going to be safe. Convincing herself that was all that mattered was difficult, but she tried.

But then Loki had hugged her, throwing his arms around her neck in a very child-like manner, and Avalon had smiled at the gesture. She saw the joy in Odin's face at knowing his son was all right, the exhaustion and the subtle relief, and she was able to put aside her own parental problems and be happy for the kid. He had earned it, after all.

The departure soon after was rather bittersweet, more so than Avalon planned for. Even though she tried her hardest to never settle down, to never accept things as they were but to always be in constant motion as a defensive mechanism against heartache (after all, when you are gifted and cursed with near immortality, your options for friends are limited at best. She had a couple places she could go for a respite when she needed, but she never stayed long, and they never pressured her to do so)...she felt some sort of connection with Loki, something deeper than just a simple camaraderie. She fought it, and lost in the end. The tears that slightly crossed her cheeks were genuine as she waved goodbye to the boy and his father, never planning on seeing them again.

It took Odin all of a week to track her down. She was knee deep in snow, passing through a Mongolian border that was really not marked well and doing her best to stay on edge in fear of crossing paths with something she couldn't fight. Every inch in her body screamed in panic when he came crashing down in front of her, splitting the blizzard and shattering the silence of the night.

"Can't you make a quiet arrival?" she hissed, eyes darting for potential enemies. She really was unfamiliar with the Mongols, but something told her that they would not take kindly to extraterrestrial beings visiting them. They were the exception, after all.

Odin looked at her, confused. "The Bifrost is not mine to dictate, Avalon Kimeldottir, any more than your wandering is under your control."

She had considered throttling him at that point, her mind caught up on him knowing about her father and her constant movement across space and time. Yes, he was right. Had he been stalking her? She really did not want to consider the implications therein.

He must have read her frustration, because his eyes shifted into a gentler look. "My Gatekeeper Heimdall watches the worlds when I ask him to. He has informed me to an extent. The rest..." He paused, considering. "You are written into the stars, Avalon Kimeldottir. Your story has much to occur yet, but there are faint whispers of the greatness you will accomplish."

"Is that why you've returned?" she asked quietly, stunned by his statement. Sure, she had considered the possibility...but to have someone bluntly state that greatness is in your stars was eye-opening and terrifying (Avalon had read more into her experiences with greatness as relating closer to the Shakespearean line about having it thrust upon her with no warning. The Doctor, hearing that, took her to meet Shakespeare. It was a rather enlightening experience for both of them; she met Shakespeare and got to watch theater at its height...and she was positive something happened for the week she left him alone in the British palace and the Court of Elizabeth. He, of course, refused to discuss it in his usual evasive manner).

Odin smiled at her. "Not exactly. I've returned to express my gratitude, and to give you this." He opened his palm and presented her with a silver necklace. The design was rather ornate, crisscrossing several times in a never-ending circle. Avalon felt dizzy looking at it.

Wordlessly, she accepted the necklace. "Thank you," she breathed, bowing slightly to show respect. "It's beautiful. Does the design have some significance?"

Odin smiled. "It's the mark of those who choose to wander but are never lost. Loki picked it out; he said you told him stories of your adventures."

Avalon smiled slightly, remembering their discussion. "How's he doing?" she asked.

Odin sighed. "He recovers well. Children have certain resilience in them that we adults can only marvel at." He looked straight at her suddenly; on some level, Avalon felt like he was looking through her. "If ever you are in severe danger, do not hesitate to request aid. Heimdall is very perceptive, and it is my debt to repay."

Avalon stared at him. "All Father, there is no debt. I did what any normal person would do, given the situation and circumstances of finding a young child alone in danger."

Odin smiled at her. "Your heart is full of valor, youngling. There is much for you to learn in the world. Don't lose that. It suits you, and it's so rare amongst the humans you live alongside."

Avalon blushed. "I do what I can, sir."

He left her with a sense of wanting more, but an understanding that things were probably going to go on like they always had. She kept the necklace, wearing it around her neck everywhere. The Doctor never asked about it (granted, he was in his blue period at that point, spending large chunks of time moping about losing his beloved Rose, that Avalon gave up on having a decent conversation about the weather, much less her jewelry habits. She felt horrible for poor Martha, the bright young woman with so much potential at her fingertips who somehow decided that being the rebound companion was a decent use of her time), and she never got around to telling him. She treasured it, in a strange sort of way. It was an artifact of adventure, a piece that reminded her of the relationship she had saved that day and the young kid who was wise beyond his years...


	3. Chapter 3: The Drums Of War

The time passed at a rapid pace. Loki, pacing a hole into the floor of the waiting area, barely registered it. He had oscillated from panic and despair to doubt and hesitation in a matter of hours. Well, 3 hours and 34 minutes, to be precise. Not that he was counting or anything.

Now that Avalon was being given the best care available throughout the 9 Realms, he had time to consider his actions and realize the sheer audacity of them. One brief encounter he barely remembered from his childhood had pushed him to the brink of action. After all, who was he to swoop in at the last second and come to the rescue of a fellow immortal? If he didn't know better, he'd consider his actions nearly heroic. But that was impossible. Loki Laufeyson, a hero?

Thor, sensing his brother's confused emotions from across the diminutive space, sighed. "You did the right thing, brother," he claimed. "I would have done the same..."

"Exactly," Loki spat out, spinning around as he cut his brother's sentence short. "But that's what you are supposed to do, Thor. Protect people from certain death and come crashing in to save the day. It is not my place or my job. I cause chaos, not stop it."

Thor stood up. "Yet you defied the standards and did so regardless. She must be something wonderful, for you to risk your reputation in such a manner."

"I know not what she is!" Loki yelled. "It's been centuries since we crossed paths. If she knew me, truly knew the horrors I had committed and what I really was, she would..."

Thor stepped forward, pulling his brother into a hug for the second time that day. Loki, his deep fears voiced out loud, trembled slightly.

"She will come to see you as the sum of your parts as I have, brother," Thor comforted Loki. "And if she cannot, than perhaps she is not nearly as wonderful as you believe her to be."

Loki bit back a bitter laugh, struggling to understand his brother's strong and seemingly unshakeable faith in him. Suddenly, the doors at the far end of the room opened with a gentle swish. The brothers separated as the head healer stepped forward.

"My princes, I have news of the Midgardian," he explained, looking between the brothers. Loki, his heart rushing into his throat, nodded for the man to continue. "She will make a full recovery, but it will take a significant amount of time," he explained. "The blade of the Frost Giant pierced deep. If we had found her any later..."

The ominous ambiguity hung in the air, and Loki swallowed, banishing the image from his mind rapidly. "Thank you, Healer. May I see her?"

The healer nodded quietly. "She still slumbers, I fear, but you may see her." He gently bowed, indicating the direction. Loki entered the double doors, hesitant of what he would discover. Thor watched his brother go, and considered his options. Clearly, there was more to this story than the pieces Loki had released in his emotional distress. Perhaps the All-Father would have the answers he so desperately craved...

#######

"You know what I love about Ancient Greece?"

Avalon looked across the table, cocking her head to the side. "No, Doc. What do you love about Ancient Greece? Other than the food, of course."

The Doctor's face turned up excitedly at her. "I love the conversations, Lonni. I mean, Socrates wandered around the marketplace arguing with people and starting debates about the meaning of various virtues. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"Before or after the hemlock?" Avalon asked sarcastically. "The authorities weren't exactly big fans of the guy."

"Right, but history remembers him for just that!" The Doctor exclaimed, sending his fork flying across the room with a unconscious flick of his wrist. "I mean, who wouldn't want to be immortalized as a rabble rouser and a free thinker?"

Avalon considered his statement. "You'll go down as a free thinker, Doc; I have no doubt about that. I almost wish that more people did it, just so we didn't get in trouble every place we went."

"Not all those who wander are lost, Lonni," he replied, a smile dancing on his lips. "Just because these humans don't understand my thought processes or logic..."

"When you bother to have logic at all," she cut in, remembering more than one 'it's all just timey-wimey wibbly wobbly stuff' lecture.

"What I meant was, it's far more fun to not be understood than to be upheld as a hero. Sure, people remember the heroes in history, and that's great for them. But people also remember, and sometimes relish even more, the troublemakers and tricksters of history. Asking questions and causing chaos is almost fun...in moderation, of course."

"Of course. All things are acceptable in moderation."

"Yes," he said, ignoring her sarcasm. "Like...like the Eiffel Tower! Lonni, I have the most fantastic idea for our next adventure!"

She'd developed a taste for French cheese that day after they prevented a handful of renegade Chula from using the Eiffel Tower to communicate with their home world. She also never forgot the subject of their discussion: that not all people who belong in society are worth worshipping, and that sometimes, the outcasts and the rebels are worth a second look.

##########

There was a chill in the room. Loki wasn't entirely sure if it was really drafty, or if the sensation was his mind playing tricks on his body. Surely, the heat was at a normal temperature; he always felt hot and stuffy in the palace rooms (of course, once his real heritage had been revealed inadvertently, he'd had time to consider things that made little sense outside of that context. His constant overheating, as well as his comfort in cold temperatures, was one of them). But standing in the doorway, looking inward at the still form on the bed...it chilled him to the bone.

He couldn't stop himself from staring at her. She really was striking, he realized; as a boy, he'd clung to her gentle beauty from fear of everything in the new found world of Midgard, and his dreams of her were tinted with those glasses. But now...he felt the bands around his heart tighten ever so slightly, and his breath came in short bursts. Her chestnut hair fell across her face, and Loki fought the urge to brush the excess strands aside. He sighed. Even in sleep, she struck him dumb.

Avalon slumbered on, unaware of her visitor in the doorway or even of her location. Her face, free from stress and strife for the first time in a century, was smooth. Loki wondered at the irony, that it took an attempt on her life to bring her true peace.

Footsteps and gentle voices echoed in the hallway behind the door. Loki started, recognizing the voice of his mother as she asked where her son was. He bit down on a thin smile; Freya's presence did not surprise him in the least. Of all his family members, their bond was the strongest; she knew how to cheer him up when he was sad, how to calm him when his mind suffered from nightmares, and when to just let him talk out his conflicting emotions from some happening at the palace. Knowing that she truly cared about him made the pain lessen in his chest. Perhaps he could tell her of this distant Midgardian. He could seek her judgment and appreciate her wisdom in manners of the heart. He certainly needed help; Avalon's mere presence was preventing him from any sort of logical thoughts.

The gentle sound of robes swooshing heralded his mother's entrance. Loki looked up, gently sliding his mask of calm into place. "Mother?" he asked, a hint of forced confusion in his voice.

She looked at him with her sparkling green eyes. "Loki," she responded, smiling slightly. "I am glad to find you well. We missed you and your brother at dinner this afternoon."

There was a slightly muffled groan from the bed, and Loki spun around, his focus completely shifted. She stirred slightly, clearly in pain, and her grey eyes fluttered. "Doc?" she croaked, her voice rusty-sounding and cracking from dehydration. "What the hell happened to me?"

"The Frost Giants happened, love," Loki answered, forgetting all context in his surprise. "You were hurt in a skirmish, but you are going to pull through and be fine." Behind him, forgotten for a moment, Freya raised an eyebrow.

"Whatza Frost Giant, Doc? And why do you sound weird? Did you regenerate on me?"

Loki blushed slightly, realizing that Avalon was clearly far more perceptive than he remembered. He shouldn't be surprised by this; she was rather intelligent for a Midgardian. "No, Avalon. It's a little hard to explain. Right now, the most important thing is that you get some rest to help your recovery." He took her closest hand and squeezed it gently. Green fire shot down the connection, spreading over Avalon. She slipped back into a deep sleep almost immediately, mumbling something incoherent about his inability to answer a simple question.

Loki exhaled, letting out a breath that he had been subconsciously holding. While he was glad she had woken up, he was not ready to explain things. He still needed to wrap his head around the possibility of having a real relationship with her, of having a friend who would support him because of his personality, not his identity as the second Prince of Asgard.

Freya smiled, squeezing the shoulder of her youngest son. "I'm beginning to understand why you missed dinner, Loki." She considered the now sleeping woman. "She is rather beautiful."

"I wouldn't know," Loki told her. "My understanding of beauty is rather...limited, as you are well aware." He had never been one to focus on looks, preferring personality and an appreciation of wit instead (his brother, however, was focused on women's physical characteristics, as they were on his at all the celebrations. In many ways, it was annoying how they fawned over him. He'd rather have a woman who fought back, argued, and didn't try to impress a handsome face. If Sif wasn't focused on his brother, he might have fallen for her, but he saw the folly far off and avoided it).

Freya laughed, a tinkling laugh that always made Loki think of bells when he heard it. "My apologies." She looked over her son, noting the clear signs of stress and exhaustion. "However, I suggest that you get some food and sleep now. Your visitor will be here in the morning for you to converse with."

Loki nodded, agreeing to the wisdom in his mother's suggestion. "I will, Mother. I just..." He paused, looking again at Avalon as she lay sleeping. "I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she's alive, and here. I was never sure I would see her again."

"I know the feeling," Freya told him. "But come, my son." She gently gripped his elbow. Acquiescing to her request, Loki left the healer's room, his ever-inquisitive eyes following Avalon's breathing the entire time.

########

Thor entered the throne room loudly, throwing the doors open with far more force than was necessary. Odin barely glanced up, clearly expecting him eventually. "My son, be careful with the doors," he requested.

Thor sighed, trying to bring his temper back under his control. "My apologies, Father. I'm just a little out of sync by the past few hours."

Odin looked at his son for a moment. "You are worried about your brother's reaction," he stated, smiling quietly.

"I am," Thor answered, not questioning how his father knew what was troubling his mind. "It was so unlike Loki, to actively seek out a confrontation with anyone. He much prefers to get his revenge from a distance." He sighed. "Who is this woman, father? Why does Loki care for her so much? I've never seen her before in my life, yet he acts so unnaturally to protect her."

Odin considered the questions posed by his son. "I will tell you what I know, my son, but it is no doubt incomplete. A veil of mystery shrouds Avalon Kimeldottir, more so than normal Midgardians. She has more in common with us than with them, after all."

Thor tried to hide his surprise. "How?" he asked, honestly curious.

"Her father was a Time Lord, a species long respected and feared in all the Nine Realms," was Odin's response. "She inherited the genetic traits of her father and the mission that all Time Lords must bear: to protect the passage of Time and the species who cross it from all threats. It is said that Time Lords travel throughout time and space with little respite, always wandering, sworn to aid the innocent and stand up against the aggressors of the Nine Realms and the universe. There are few of them left now, but their legend lives on. That is her heritage."

Thor was momentarily taken aback. "So how does Loki know her and I am a stranger?" he demanded finally. "Surely one so great would have met with all of the family if she visited us here."

"She did not visit us, my son," Odin explained. "Loki met her in Midgard. That is a long story, and it is not mine to tell."

Thor was about to object to being denied what must be an exciting story a second time when the throne room doors opened once again with a bang. Father and son looked up as Heimdall strode into the room.

"All-Father, there is a problem brewing," he said, his voice booming with clear intensity.

"What is it, Heimdall?" Thor asked.

"The Frost Giants are making motions for war, Prince Thor," was the response from the all-seeing Gate Keeper. "I fear, after what was witnessed by Loki and his visitor today, that their target is Midgard and that they fully intend to harm the humans that stand in their path."

Odin stood up suddenly. "This is a dangerous charge, Gate Keeper. Are you absolutely certain of what you saw? I fear starting another war betwixt our realms, especially if the humans are placed in harm's way."

Heimdall nodded slowly. "I saw them practicing in the courtyard and gathering their weapons. I shudder at the potential consequences."

Odin sighed. "Then I must go to Jötunheim and try to intercede. There will not be another war if I can help it." He rushed out of the Courtroom, clearly bent on preparing himself for such a sudden mission. Thor went to follow his father, but Heimdall stopped him.

"Go to your brother Loki in the dining hall and inform him of the developments," he told the Prince. "See if the Midgardian's condition has improved. There is a chance that she is involved in the rapid pace of the Frost Giants movements and might be able to help us understand their motivation."

Thor nodded. "I will do so, but then I shall prepare to accompany my father. He must not go on this mission of peace unprepared. There is a chance that Jötunheim holds a trap in expectation of his actions." He turned on his heel, and left the throne room through a back door that connected to the kitchen. This simple news had completely changed his focus. Mentally, he was steeling himself for a battle he had a horrific feeling was inevitable and rapidly approaching...


	4. Chapter 4: Awake

A/N: Hello and welcome to the second section! The title change comes from Shakespeare; I happen to be a big Bard enthusiast, and I always enjoy pulling titles from his work. Once again, I would like to thank my beta, Alexandra the Dreamer, for all her help. Enjoy!

SECTION TWO: AWAKE AND CONFUSED

It was like coming up from the depths of the constantly swirling ocean after being submerged for an indefinable amount of time and fighting for an oh so precious breath of oxygen while somehow knowing and clinging to the simple fact that you were still alive and in one piece. That was the best description Avalon could give for waking up. The piercing blackness that she had fallen into so willingly out of pain, exhaustion and confusion began to peel away gently, and she forced her way to the surface.

In the end, she only awoke part of the way, caught between full awareness and unconsciousness, floundering in the deep end of her own mind. She felt a presence, a body stir at the end of her comfortable luxurious bed, and instinctively latched on to a conclusion as to who was standing there. "Doc?" she asked, feeling her throat expand and her voice crack with unexpected movement (She sounded like a lethargic frog, even worse than the one time she'd spent a week exposed to the elements on some frozen moon in the Outer Rim of the galaxy. Donna had nursed her back to health when the TARDIS had discovered her state of borderline hypothermia, which had caught Avalon off guard. She had not expected there to be a nurturing instinct under the tough and snarky personality she had almost grown accustomed to). "What the hell happened to me?"

"The Frost Giants happened, love. You were hurt in a skirmish, but you are going to pull through and be fine."

The frank and direct response to a blunt question of hers, so different from his roundabout explanations and usual scientific babble, was not lost on Avalon. "Whatza Frost Giant, Doc? And why do you sound weird? Did you regenerate on me?"

There was an awkward laugh from the foot of the bed, as though the speaker wanted to avoid the subject at hand. "No, Avalon. It's a little hard to explain. Right now, the most important thing is that you get some rest to help your recovery."

Her eyes flickered open, and she looked upwards through the haze of exhaustion at the face standing over her...an all too familiar face, but one that was not the Doctor's. Before her slowly functioning mind could reconcile the two contradictions, a warm fuzzy feeling of exhaustion spread from her hand over her entire body. The desire for sleep overpowered all others; Avalon tried to fight it but quickly realized any attempts would be worthless. "You always had a way with avoiding questions," she grumbled, releasing herself to the darkness once again.

######

Her dreams were not peaceful. Sure, they rarely were, but even this was a wild and extreme exception. Images of chaos raced across her vision, things that she didn't know and had no understanding for erupting in front of her. Blue creatures that seemed familiar and were ridiculously tall, sparred endlessly with soldiers in golden armor and normal men. Icicles flew through the air alongside spears and bullets. It was senseless, mindless killing and warfare, with severe casualties on both sides.

Avalon observed everything from above the battlefield, fighting her inner panic. Spaced amongst the golden-plated soldiers she observed others dressed in odd costumes even for humans. She recognized Captain America easily (he was timeless, allegedly, the man who could not be killed. She had considered looking him up when she was in America in the 21st Century, but decided against it. The legends she had heard of SHIELD made them appear even worse than the Torchwood organization that the Doctor claimed was 'going to start an intergalactic war one of these days'). The others were foreign to her, unknown in her travels. Perhaps they were new heroes, born out of a massive crisis and designed to work together. They fought on the side of the humans, helping push back the blue army. But it was clearly not enough.

Avalon wondered if this was some sort of present tense event or a future warning for what she might encounter. She hoped it was neither; warfare was not something she willingly engaged in. Even with the Daleks, she did her best to talk before fighting. Granted, the Daleks were not exactly willing to return the favor...but at least she tried.

Suddenly, over the backdrop of the battle, a voice rang out, piercing the silence. Avalon Kimeldottir, this is your destiny. Prevent this war or fight within it; it matters not to me. But know this: without your help, the armies of Asgard and Midgard are doomed to fail. You are their only hope against the Frost Giants.

A shiver ran through Avalon's body. The only hope of saving the world? That was horrific (and slightly cliche...she seemed to remember many movies with some variation on the line of 'help me, friend; you're my only hope'). Her mind quickly decided that she needed to process this. Her gut's first impulse was to try and contact the Doctor. If something was coming, he had to be warned so that he could defend. He was the Protector of the Earth, after all. It came with the territory (although at this point, she wasn't sure how prepared he was to get involved anew. After losing Donna...well, seeing Rose move on with his clone probably didn't help any either, but still).

There was an abrupt shift in motion, a change in scenery that knocked her out of logical considerations and musings. Suddenly, she stood aboard the TARDIS flight deck, staring at the controls before her. None of them looked familiar; something that had come as second nature to her years ago was now foreign and impossible. She panicked, years of attempts to control anxieties flying out the window.

Then he arrived, smiling like a maniac and jumping down to help. "Come on, Lonni; you know how to do this. It's just a twist here, a spin there, and..."

The TARDIS lurched, throwing them both to the ground. The Doctor stared at the readings before him, confused. "What? What? WHAT?" he yelled, spitting out the word with chaos in his lungs and confusion in the air. Avalon pulled herself up rapidly. "We have to go back," she told him, although she didn't understand where they had left or why she was so determined to go back there.

He gave her a look, a look she knew all too well, and shook his head. "We can't, love. We can't risk it. I'm so, so sorry."

She screamed in frustration, and the walls crumbled around her...

#######

Loki saw the tensions rapidly cross Avalon's face and he felt a strong desire to step in. Clearly, she was dreaming; the rapid pace of her eyes underneath her closed lids was indicative of little else. He considered using magic to somehow calm her heart rate and ease her nightmares, but quickly realized the absurd implications and the risks. Dreaming was one of those areas where magic was far more of a hindrance than an aid. The mind was a sensitive area, and even good intentioned interference could create horrific fallout.

Her eyes flickered open a second time. From the shadows, Loki watched. His goal was to let her get a general gauge of her surroundings before re-introducing himself, so that she couldn't dismiss it as a dream. He needed her to invest in him as a reality, because she needed to believe his news.

When his brother had found him in the dining hall eating something for the first time in what felt like a long time (although it had only truly been a few hours since breakfast that morning...he couldn't explain how but it seemed to have been a whole lifetime in the short time he had been reunited with her) Loki had been caught off guard. Now that he had time to consider it, it made some sense. The Frost Giants were aggressive; they had willingly taken a chance to overthrow and murder a weakened Odin when he had offered it to them a few years ago (and perhaps it was their blood lust that had forced his hand and driven him to attempt genocide; perhaps he could see his worst moments reflected in their blood red eyes. He really could not explain his cold willingness to kill his own species. Maybe the power had finally gotten to his head...).

Avalon coughed, trying to sit up. Loki, seeing the motion, knew that she would regret it. "Be careful, my friend" he cautioned gently, stepping out of the shadows. "You are still recovering, and sudden movements might cause new injury."

The look on her face was...many things. Loki saw the surprise and the confusion he was expecting, but also glimpsed a flicker of recognition in her crystal grey eyes. Did she know him? He waited patiently, seeing if she could put the pieces together.

"Hi," she croaked finally. "It's...well, it's been a while, kid." She smiled a little, then coughed and made a face. "Wow that hurts. Do I want to know what happened to me? I'm assuming Vikings were not involved this time around."

Loki snorted, remembering their last encounter. "Unfortunately, things are not that simple." He got serious quickly, his face shifting. "We need to talk, actually, if you are prepared. How much do you remember exactly of earlier events?"

"Big blue cold creatures with ice hands," Avalon said immediately. She paused. "They seemed to recognize me, but I've never seen them before in my life. Any ideas?"

Loki nodded, frowning slightly at the recognition detail. That seemed to be a new wrinkle. "They're known as Frost Giants or Jötunns. They come from a cold dark and precarious realm, perhaps the most dangerous of the 9 realms, called Jötunheim. And for some reason, they appear to be preparing for a war on Midgard."

Avalon stared at him. "What? How? Why? I mean, I know the humans are not exactly peaceful creatures, but this seems a little excessive. And unanticipated. Could there have been provocation of some sort?"

"That would not have been necessary," Loki informed her quietly. Then, he turned pensive. "The Jötunns thirst for blood. They are more than willing to risk what they imagine will be mild casualties. After all, they are not expecting Asgard to interfere."

Avalon caught the tense. "Is Asgard planning on getting involved in such a war?" she asked, the images from her dream vision rushing back rapidly and leading her heart rate to pick up with adrenaline. "I mean, surely the all-Father has better things to do."

"He has no interest normally in such affairs, but the threat of war and the cost of human life are too high for his liking. My brother cares for them, and Father would do anything for him," Loki said fighting hard to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Now was really not the time to get into the complex family psychology of being the unwanted adopted son with the perfect older brother destined for a throne.

Avalon nodded slowly, observing the facial tics that suggested there was more to Loki's statement than he was letting on. Clearly, things were...complicated. "Well, the first move would be to try for a truce. Even these monstrous creatures must see some reason." She saw something cross Loki's face, involuntary and far more subtle, and was confused by it. "You all right?"

Suddenly, he refused to meet her eyes, trying to fight the embarrassment flooding his system (she knew nothing about the Frost Giants, but she still saw them as irrational monsters just as everyone did. Knowing that was her view, the thought of telling her the truth would be impossible. She would shun him, as they all had. Even Thor sometimes...).

He felt her hand as it intertwined with his on the bedspread, bringing him back from his dark thoughts. She gently squeezed, wrapping around his fingers with pressure. "Loki, look at me," she requested softly. Her tone was so straight forward, almost hesitant, that he couldn't for the life of him fight back or ignore it. He obeyed, glancing up, and Avalon smiled at him. "I'm not going to hurt you, kid," she told him.

Something in the familiar words landed (after all, it was those words that she had first whispered to him when they had crossed paths in a snow bank a lifetime ago. They had meant everything to Loki back then, in his greatest time of need. But now...) "I'm not sure you can do any more damage than what has already been done," he told her, sarcasm rising in his tone unintentionally as he felt his heart race from shame. "I am not the child you remember."

"Nor am I the woman who saved you," Avalon told him, remembering all of the horrific things that had transpired in the past fifteen years. "It's clear that we are both damaged goods."

Loki stared at her, stunned by that heartfelt revelation. "You could never be damaged," he informed her, his cheeks tinting a slight shade of pink without him realizing it.

A slow look of appreciation crossed her face, and he felt his heart skip a beat. "Clearly, we have a lot to catch up on," she informed him.

Before Loki could interject with agreement, the doors opened slightly. Odin All Father walked in, and Loki stood up and respectfully bowed, trying to be proper and formal with his...father. Avalon, not able to change her position without risking injury, gave him a subtle nod of welcome. Odin returned it, then turned to Loki. "My son, will you join us on our quest of peace to Jötunheim? I feel your presence may help calm things down."

Loki, recognizing his father's attempts at talking to Avalon without him, nodded his approval. He slipped out of the room, shooting one last look at the woman he remembered from so long ago. To his continued shock and amazement, her eyes held a slight shade of fear and concern in them. Was the threat of war troubling the immortal, or were her worries for his safety in particular? Loki spent a small amount of time on his journey to his room pondering the possibilities, and did not know what to make of it. Something about her made his mind spin and his thoughts come crashing down in illogical chunks, which he discovered after he narrowly avoided walking into a column. It made packing somewhat difficult, even with the hint of danger. No matter how hard he tried to focus, he could not get her out of his head...


	5. Chapter 5: New Variables

Far away, on an alien and bleak landscape of a subdued planet, a lonely figure stirred from his musings. The air hummed with a sensation he had rarely felt before. The calm before the storm, he realized, and subconsciously shuddered at the thought. If there was another storm coming...well, he wasn't sure he wanted to face it. Not after the cost of the last one.

Unbidden, an all too familiar ginger face leaped into his mind. Donna Noble laughing loudly, bursting with life and energy and beaming at his antics. He smiled at the memory, hot tears trickling down his face freely. They all left, in the end. But every time, it burned a little more.

The air thrummed again. In the back of his mind, the Doctor felt panic. He froze, turning his concentration inwards. Yes, there it was again. Lonni. It had to be; no one else was around anymore. She was sore...possibly severely injured; her pain tolerance struck him as being far higher than most individuals he knew. But there was something else as well.

It hit him suddenly that the oncoming storm and Lonni's anxiety were most likely connected on some level. Something was happening on Earth, something that he needed to be there for. Even in his current state of wandering, he would never turn down a cry for help. Especially one from her. Yes, their relationship could be a little tense sometimes (he remembered more than one argument and disagreement where they did not see eye to eye), but in the end, she was part Time Lord. She had the same heritage, the same blood, the same physical characteristics, and the same set of hearts. To abandon her in a time of need would be unthinkable. For all intents and purposes, she was all he had left.

Turning around, the Doctor strode towards his ship. The TARDIS was the only thing for miles here, a lone streak of blue on a horizon of gray shadows. He smiled slightly, watching for a moment in peace. Then, remembering his mission, he slipped inside. The door closed behind him, and with a gentle whoosh the entire box vanished into thin air.

The Doctor pushed buttons, silently asking the TARDIS to find Lonni. The last thing he wanted was to be too late and risk losing another friend...

######

Thor looked up from his packing as Loki walked into his rooms, struggling to keep the surprise out of his face. He had been expecting his little brother to spend as much time as possible with his foreign visitor from Midgard. "Brother, are you well?" he asked, lacing his tone with a slight concern.

Loki smiled at Thor's thinly veiled attempts at getting information from him. "I am fine, Thor. Father asked me to help on your mission to Jötunheim." He made a face, frowning slightly. "I suspect he was attempting to have a private conversation with Avalon, but the reason is legitimate enough."

Thor nodded, understanding some of his brother's frustrations. "Perhaps he is vetting her to see whether she is worthy of a prince's interest," he offered helpfully.

Loki glared at him, redness rushing into his face. "He would never...I mean, he has no reason to think...I certainly have no interest in...Thor, we've met twice! We're just friends!" He could not believe his brother would draw such a conclusion. Avalon was...

His stomach twisted. Perhaps Thor's blunder had a grain of truth. Was there something more than mere camaraderie between him and Avalon? Love was such a broad and overused word in modern thought that Loki had never bothered to consider the possibility that he would experience it. Certainly, when others discussed love, they spoke in sweeping gestures and grand poetic verses. Even his brother, who barely picked up a book of his own volition, had taken to writing love letters to that Foster woman on Midgard he so adored. But he didn't think of Avalon like that. And yet...

He had risked everything, run headlong into a fight with his own fears and was now about to face the biological father who had abandoned him to the elements...all for her sake and the sake of her world. Perhaps that was love. Regardless, he knew that Thor could never know what he felt or he risked a lifetime of teasing for it.

So he turned towards his brother, and smiled effortlessly, sliding on a mask. "I'm sure Father merely wants to make independent inquiries about her experiences. The more evidence he has, the better the chances of our mission succeeding. Even you can understand that, brother mine."

Thor smiled as well, observing all of Loki's techniques of avoiding the conversation. "Well, if you think that is all he intends, I believe you." he said, giving in to his brother's denials...for now.

Loki relaxed, glad to escape admitting to Thor his confusion and his real feelings. Right now, it would only serve as a distraction they could not afford. If they were going to face Laufey again, they would need every bit of concentration they had.

#########

Odin saw the look of confusion and near panic cross Avalon's face at his request of his youngest son and realized that the Time Lady hybrid had no grasp of Loki's true identity. He debated whether or not to tell her, worried that she might react somewhat negatively to the news. After all, the Frost Giants had nearly murdered her. Her understanding of them was tinted in such a spectrum, and he could not risk ruining the renewed friendship through such a harsh maneuver.

Once Loki left the room, Avalon turned towards the All Father. "It's been a few centuries, All Father," she said. "You seem to have barely aged."

"You as well," Odin replied. "Although I seem to remember your hair being a lighter shade, yes?"

Avalon smiled. "Regenerations are normally unpredictable in their form, but apparently my...human genes allow me to keep a similar shape," she told him. "My mentor has no real explanation for it. Naturally, the explanations he does have for some things are rather...out there." She paused, pursing her lips. "Forgive my boldness, highness, but what are your chances of success at this peaceful quest of yours to Jötunheim?"

Odin's eyebrows drooped slightly. Avalon, observing the facial expression, tensed instinctively. Finally, he met her eyes with his single one. "I will be frank, youngling. The Jötunns have little interest in peaceful proceedings. Here in Asgard, we hold their source of power in our Weapons Vault. It is called the Casket of Winters, and my army took it at the last war betwixt Asgard and Jötunheim. However, the amount of energy needed to fight a mortal army could be achieved foreseeably without the Casket."

Avalon grimaced, partially from the pain in her ribs but more from the realization of Odin's point. "So they could, for all intents and purposes, fight and win a war against the humans without this Casket you possess?"

Odin nodded. "They nearly slaughtered them in the last war, and that was as collateral damage. Were they to intentionally act aggressively...to be frank, it would not end pleasantly for the humans. They are not prepared for such a war; even with the band of so-called superheroes my son has joined."

"So you go to seek their motives, and persuade them to stand down?" Avalon asked. "How exactly does Loki fit into all of this? I mean, in the Norse tales, he's described as a God of Lies and Tricks, a known Silvertongue. If that's at all accurate, he might inflame the meeting, not help it."

Odin sighed, realizing that telling her now would be the best move on his part. To avoid it would not help in the end. "I believe Loki will be able to help because Laufey will listen to reason at least partially to a fellow Jötunn. Specifically, his son." He watched her face without betraying emotion, looking for signs of hatred. Thankfully, none appeared.

Avalon absorbed the news, realizing that Loki was probably referencing his heritage when he discussed his brokenness. That was undoubtedly one piece of the puzzle that made up the new man she had met earlier. "I suppose that makes some sense," she confirmed. "I only hope you are right. War is a terrible thing, from what I've been told...and what I've witnessed."

Odin was slightly surprised by her dark tone. He looked at the woman before him, watching as the shadows of death and loss crossed her face. Clearly, she had changed in the years between their encounters. He wasn't sure how exactly he felt about that realization, but he knew better than to demand answers of her.

He nodded his agreement with her statement. "You are correct in that regard, youngling. I cannot think of a good war; I doubt such a thing exists. Peace is a much preferred reality in any circumstance."

Avalon almost laughed. "I wish the human rulers were as perceptive as you are, All-Father. For them, throughout history, war is a noble action and a glad deed to undergo. They fight without thought of casualty or trauma, and cannot see the costs. Alas, they cannot learn without costing the innocence of too many lives."

"Innocence is easily lost in times of war," Odin informed her. "It is one casualty that no one can plan for."

A messenger entered the room, bowing low for the sake of propriety before the king. "All Father, your sons are prepared for their mission and await your next command."

Odin nodded. "Many thanks. You have delivered your message well. I shall prepare myself." He turned back towards Avalon. "Rest now, youngling. I shall return soon. I only hope the tidings I bring will be fairer."

########

Odin walked out rapidly. Avalon watched him go, then turned towards the messenger. "Well played."

"I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about," Loki said smoothly, sliding out of his disguise and into his normal shape. But his cheeks tinged pink slightly, grateful for the rare praise of his magical skills.

Avalon smiled, but then looked at him and felt her heart tighten. He was wearing a full suit of dark green armour, clearly designed with protection in mind. A feeling of dread trickled through her like ice in her veins. He looked prepared for a fight, which did not bode well.

Loki saw her facial expression, and guessed at the cause. "It is a formality for meeting as dignitaries," he assured her, letting his silver tongue work as it did so well. "I am not worried. No more so than usual when dealing with Jötunns. They are..." He paused. "Quite dangerous, unfortunately."

Avalon quietly looked at him. "Your father condensed things for me about why you're going on this mission," she told him. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier about Jötunns."

Loki was caught off guard by her frankness. "You had no idea, Avalon. I hardly blame you for your lack of knowledge." He paused, thinking. "If anything, I am quite impressed that you would apologize. Most people barely think twice before calling me a monster, no matter how many times Thor has...gotten involved." He grimaced slightly, remembering the fallout from one such encounter. His brother was protective, overly enthusiastic, and always looking for a fight...but in all honesty, he was an idiot when it came to other people.

"Call me Lonni," Avalon said impulsively. Loki stared at her, confused. She rapidly tried to explain, her tongue getting tangled with words. "It's just that my full name is so...formal and proper sounding, and my friends don't use it all that much. Unless they're mad at me for something, or I've gotten us into some sort of situation...but even then, it takes a lot of problems before they call me Avalon. I guess...I guess I just want to see us as friends, Loki. Not that we weren't before, or anything like that...Am I making sense? At all?"

He smiled at her, humor in his eyes, and she felt a light heat traverse her neck. Something inside her started tingling, and the room became suddenly warmer than she remembered (she recognized the basic signs, but chose to ignore them. After all, they were still basically strangers. Falling in love with someone took dedication and understanding, required a deeper grasp of relationships and a willingness to sacrifice things. It didn't just happen overnight. Did it?).

"I would like that...Lonni," Loki said, letting the name roll off his tongue with an intimacy he found strange but enjoyable. The grin she gave him, even though it clearly caused her pain, was worth it. They sat there, just smiling for a few seconds.

Suddenly, a trumpet call ripped the silence. Loki's head snapped up. His father was calling a meeting amongst the people, delivering his news in a public forum. He really needed to leave now. "I fear I must apologize for making this short," he told her softly. "I shall return as soon as I can."

He turned to leave, but felt her press something into his hand. "Ferisix and Thrayke protect you and Godspeed," she whispered, sliding back into unconsciousness after fighting to stay awake. Loki opened his hand, recognizing the necklace he had begged his father to give to her all those years ago. He smiled softly, memories fluttering back to the surface as he tied it underneath his armour around his neck.

"Sleep well, Lonni," he whispered, looking one last time at her beautiful face as he slipped out to join his fellow travelers. "Sleep well, my love."


	6. Chapter 6: The Crowd

Hello! Thanks for reading! This is the third 'section' of sorts, and I wanted to clarify a couple things.

One: Laufey is alive in this story, so technically it's AU. I was not aware that Laufey had been killed until I watched Thor over the weekend...and even then, it was kind of a minor detail. As a result, I always imagined Laufey surviving...so he will probably make an appearance soon enough.

Two: I'm realizing I may have used the wrong goddess in my earlier chapters. I meant Frigga when I said Freya. I'll correct that...eventually. Hopefully, that wasn't a major problem.

Thanks again to my wonderful beta Alexandra the Dreamer. Hope you enjoy!

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The air hummed and crackled with nervous energy as many Asgardian citizens, noble and civilian alike, entered the Great Hall of the Palace, drawn by the trumpet sound that had erupted a mere thirty minutes earlier. Odin looked over the expanding crowd of his subjects, observing their simple interactions with each other. Whispers leapt from person to person across the room, slicing the overlaying buzz into convoluted sections of gossip. No specific phrases were clear enough to reach the ears of the All Father, but from the faces he could see, nerves were high. The trumpet might have been overkill, he realized. But they had the right to know what was going on for the kingdom. After all, if he was not successful...

He banished that thought from his mind, watching as his youngest son entered the hall in the back of the crowd, from the general direction of the healing room. Odin tried not to smile, having no doubt as to what his motivation was for being there instead of his normal hangout of the library. Instead, he studied Loki's face, trying to gauge the mood. From a distance, he seemed pensive, almost hesitant as he looked around the room. His fingers mildly twitched in the air, a nervous tick Odin knew from experience. However, if he was afraid of the upcoming confrontation, his expression did not display it (fear would have been an expected reaction from the Jötunn; after all, Loki did not enjoy combat. However, he did not shy away from it when challenged, a fact Odin was well aware of and that Thor had learned on a few memorable occasions).

Odin considered the woman in the healing room, the youngling Time Lord Avalon Kimmeldotter, who he thought he had known but clearly did not know nearly enough. She had a strong potential; the task of a Time Lord was not meant for the fainthearted. However, dealing with the Jötunns forced her into a situation that very little could easily prepare her for, even with the years of experience she had clearly gained. He was worried about what would happen to her and the world she had chosen to inhabit if she was pushed into a fighting role she could not handle alone, if she were to (metaphorically speaking) be thrown into the deep waters of the ocean and forced to swim her way back to shore. Unfortunately, the time for preparation was rapidly ending for all involved. Like it or not, her fate was tied with the fate of Midgard...and to an extent, Asgard as well.

However, Odin was well aware that he clearly was not the only one who was concerned about the fate of Avalon. Ever since she had been rescued and brought to Asgard, Loki had been acting in a different manner than normal. He was far more active in the actions taken by Odin, clearly concerned about the consequences for Midgard if Asgard went to war. He had agreed to come on a mission to Jötunheim, which was extremely dangerous for any individual but doubly so for a Jötunn who had been raised outside of their culture and had committed treason of sorts. Odin was well aware that Loki knew the risks; Heimdall had told him of occasional nightmares that his youngest had during his time in prison for his crimes where the name of Laufey was yelled in panic and heart-wrenching fear.

And yet...here he was, stepping forward into the hall in his full armour, joining an expedition to save Midgard, a realm he once came close to ruling with an iron fist and an alien army, from a dreadful fate. The whispers only grew in noise as he passed by, although Loki clearly paid them no mind as he walked forward to stand by his adopted father, a filled satchel slung across his shoulder. Odin wondered if Loki had years of practice to fall back on in ignoring things he had no need of hearing, but banished that thought from his mind. "My son," he said quietly, smiling as Loki stepped up to his side.

Loki bowed slightly, showing respect, then turned with his father. "Have you given them any warning about the content of your news?" he murmured slightly, eyes perceptively scanning the crowd gathered below. "The trumpet might have been a tad...excessive, shall we say."

"They have the right to know the actions of their king," Odin responded, his tone matching Loki's in softness. "This is serious business that we will conduct, my son. Few remain who fought in the last war, but all of Asgard knows the risks if our mission does not succeed. That is why I felt the trumpet was appropriate, if mildly excessive."

Loki looked about to rebut him when Thor entered the room. All of the people gathered looked up, and some bowed low to their future king, clearing a path for his passage. Loki, seeing the response of the crowd, felt a hot pang of jealousy cut through his stomach like an iron on a forge. He shot down the emotion, taking a couple of deep breaths. While things were unfair in the civilians' treatment of Thor compared to him (as they always had been, in all honesty), he needed to remain calm for Lonni's sake.

He smiled slightly without meaning to. No doubt, those below him would believe it to be a brave attempt at saving his dignity in the face of Thor's clear popularity. Instead, the easy image of her chestnut hair across her face and her gray eyes sparkling with laughter had slipped into his mind. Slowly, he felt his frustration dissipate. With her support, he could face an uneasy crowd willingly. His brother and father cared for him, but Lonni's friendship was the thing he craved the most.

Thor stepped up, flanking Odin on the opposite side. The All-Father raised his hands. Instantly, all idle chatter ceased and the gathered crowds hushed, turning towards their king. Odin coughed slightly. "People of Asgard, I have sounded the trumpet to bring grave news to you. While we have kept things under control, many of you no doubt have heard of our...unexpected visitor." The gentle murmuring from the gathered Asgardians confirmed what Odin suspected: that gossip had already spread about Avalon's unusual arrival. He raised his hands again, and the crowd grew silent once more. "The details are somewhat limited at this point, but I can confirm one thing: the woman here was attacked by a roaming band of Jötunns on Midgard. She has been offered sanctuary for the time being."

The room crackled with noise and confusion. Loki felt nervous energy course through the crowd like lightning, and he swallowed. It was difficult to tell whether people were more concerned about the Jötunns on Midgard or a woman from Midgard being given sanctuary in Asgard. If the crowd somehow perceived Lonni as a threat to their safety...he shuddered at the thought.

Odin raised his arms for a third time, indicating additional news. "I know this comes as a concern to many of you, but please hear me out. Asgard has a truce with Jötunheim that has been tenuous at best over the years. Still, the threat to Midgard is equally concerning. My sons and I, along with the Warriors Three and Sif, will embark on a mission of peace to Jötunheim in the next few hours. We intend to discuss with Laufey his intentions and goals, and try to bridge the gap before any harm is incurred." He paused, and a serious look crossed his face. "While I have no intention of reigniting the conflict between our lands, I must warn you that war may become an inevitable reality. If peace cannot be achieved, we will not stand idly by and let the Jötunns slaughter the humans below. With that in mind, please make any and all preparations you find necessary for a worst case scenario. Thank you for your understanding."

Silence fell over the room. Even though the All-Father was done talking, there was still a chill in the air. Loki watched the faces of the people, noticing fear and confusion on more than one of them. War was a far greater threat than one small mortal, clearly. He relaxed slightly. Lonni would be fine...for the moment. Slowly, the crowds dissipated, whispering all the while, as the warriors mentioned stepped forward and bowed to the king.

"All-Father, we can depart shortly," Hogun said. The others nodded their agreement.

Odin smiled slightly, his face losing the grim expression. "Than do so and meet us at the stables. We must ride out within the hour."

Bowing again, the four departed for their chambers. Loki, Thor and Odin were about to leave for the stables when the doors of the hall opened again. Frigga came through, fear and frustration glowing from her eyes. Apparently, she had just heard the news.

Loki and Thor looked at each other and wordlessly slipped out the back. Some things were not worth getting involved in. An argument of their parents was one of them.

##############

Frigga watched her sons go, then turned to her husband. "What are you hoping to accomplish with this fool's mission?" she demanded of him. "Surely you must realize that the Jötunns have no interest in peaceful relations."

"I cannot risk an attempt at war by Laufey without first attempting to find peace," Odin assured his wife quietly. "As long as Avalon Kimmeldottir is here..."

"Oh, and you would rather cast her to the Jötunns then give her sanctuary?" Frigga demanded of her husband. "I guarantee that Loki would have several things to say about that. None of them pleasant."

Odin pursed his lips, trying to find the words. "I have no such intentions," he whispered. "However, it is clear that her presence may aggravate things in our already tense relationship. They attacked first, and in doing so played their hand. Had they not ambushed her, we might not have known of their presence on Midgard. If they hear we are protecting her, offering her sanctuary..."

Frigga pursed her lips, hearing the words Odin could not say. "Would they dare to attack here?" she demanded finally. "We are the strongest fighting force in the Nine Realms, love. Can they afford to engage with us, to risk it?"

"You and I both know that they hate Asgard, and me in particular." Odin spoke slowly, emphasizing every word. "They did not hesitate to assassinate me during my time of weakness in the Odinsleep, grasping at the thin chance Loki offered them. They cannot afford it, but that will not stop some among them of trying."

Frigga sighed. "I hate this," she said finally. "I hate this feeling of hesitation and hopelessness, of being on the brink of something unimaginable."

Odin pulled her close, holding her and letting her beautiful smell overwhelm him for a moment. "I know," he murmured. "But we will come back from the brink, my love. I will exhaust every possible option before war. You know that."

"I do," Frigga told him, smiling slightly. "I trust you to try. I only hope you can be successful, and to support you from afar."

Odin kissed her forehead. "I thank you for it, Frigga my Queen. Now try and get some sleep. Our realm needs stability if we are to survive this threat, as we have so many others..."

####################

"Brother, you have some time yet before we leave."

Loki sighed, trying not to glare at Thor. "We said our goodbyes, Thor. At this point, she needs to rest. The more sleep she gets, the better her recovery. Her body needs rest to rejuvenate its energy."

"Can she heal herself?" Thor asked dumbfounded at the possibility.

Loki made a face of frustration. "I do not think so. There is precious little information on Time Lords to begin with. And she is half-human, which could lead to all sorts of potential complications with her abilities. I think her recovery will be faster than a human in the same position, but I cannot be positive." Subconsciously, his lithe fingers wrapped around the necklace she had returned to him. He had tied it to his knife belt, so that he could look at easily enough. It reminded him of her, and gave him something to fiddle with (he had always been a boisterous child, constantly in motion and never watching where he was going. In time, he had learned to channel that energy in his magic and his sense of humour, never strong enough or fast enough to quite measure up to his older brother in the physical skills department. Even as a fully grown Jötunn, his fingers would occasionally twitch from boredom and he would need something to distract them).

Thor noticed his brother's distress. "She will be fine, Loki. And we will be as well. I will not let Laufey and his fellow Jötunns..."

Loki cut him off abruptly. "I am more than capable of defending myself, brother mine. You have no reason to think otherwise." Frustration and sarcasm leaked into his tone as jealousy coursed through his veins. "I may not be fully to the scale of my true brethren, but a mewling infant I am not."

Thor turned his brother towards him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "You misunderstand me. I meant it in a sense of protection, not an insult to your ability. I know you to be strong and capable when you need to be, but you still are my younger brother."

Loki nodded slowly, mildly pacified. His pride still glowed within like a coal, but it was no longer the near-raging fire he had felt seconds before. "I am not as afraid as I once was, Thor. My exile took me to far darker places than Jötunheim. I come to help find peace, not to seek redemption and revenge or face my childish nightmares."

"I am with you," Thor told him quietly. He paused, then smiled. "Now come. We must stop by the kitchen for some provisions for the journey. Knowing Volstagg, he will want at least one snack before we arrive at the hall of Laufey." He walked off towards the kitchen.

Loki trailed behind, rolling his eyes at the thought of Volstagg and his eating habits. No matter how hard he tried, he could not relieve the tension in his bones. He could not, for the life of him, shake the feeling that a storm was coming...


	7. Chapter 7: The Doc Is Back In Town

The healing room of Asgard's palace was quiet and unattended. All of the healers had left upon the sound of the trumpet in the main hall, hungry for news. They, of course, knew of the visitor that Odin spoke of, but also knew better than to join in the gossip of the uninformed.

In their absence, there was no one to hear the triple swoosh and creak as an all too familiar blue phone box slowly appeared in the room where Thor and Loki had waited earlier. After a matter of seconds, the noise subsided, and a lean brunette head with glasses cautiously poked out of the TARDIS. The last thing the Doctor wanted was to walk into a situation unprepared, especially if Lonni was in pain.

Coming to the conclusion that the coast was relatively clear, the Doctor eased his way out into the empty room. The air hummed again, and suddenly his well-worn pinstripe suit felt tight against his skin. He swallowed slowly, trying to remain calm even as his mind leapt to the worst possible scenarios.

Luckily for him, she was awake. Calm down, Doc a familiar voice rang in his mind, making him smile. Even in pain, his Avalon was still sharp.

I'll do my best, Lonni. Mind telling me where exactly you are? he responded.

He felt her focus. A couple rooms over. There's a big door with what appears to be oak wood. Hard for me to tell from here.

The Doctor looked down the nearest hallway, finding several doors fitting that description. Sorry to be a bother, but can you be more specific?

You know, you could pulse me out with your screwdriver, Doc, she told him. He imagined a look of annoyance on her face as she tried not to be too smarmy. Something clearly had her on edge. He couldn't quite explain it, but he knew instinctively that she wasn't fully healed. Or perhaps something else was a source of her concern.

Pushing that thought aside, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and gently activated it, watching as the blue light slowly grew brighter as he pointed it towards the end of the hall. Apparently, his friend had been given the room of honor. What did you do, Lonni? he wondered. His curiosity, piqued by the mystery, allowed him to forget about his concern for a moment.

I kind of picked a fight...well, they picked it with me, was the response. As you can imagine, it's a long story. There was a pause, as though she was considering something. You might want to be careful where you leave the TARDIS, Doc.

He pushed the door open gently, enthralled with the ancient designs carved into the wood. "You know, the perception filter works just as well on Asgardians as it does on humans," he informed her, smiling. "If anything, they'll think it was some sort of joke. Who invades a powerful realm with their own army from a police box?"

"You would," Avalon told him, giving him a look. "And the thing is, they've heard of Time Lords here, and they're already completely on edge. If they get the wrong idea about you waltzing in here with your legendary powers..."

The Doctor entered the room, sitting down in the chair Loki had previously occupied. "You're actually worried about me," he murmured, trying to wrap his head around it. Finally, he looked up at her. "What's going on, Lonni? That..." He pressed a hand to the bandages around her abdomen, and she hissed in mild pain. "Looks extremely serious," he finished with a raised eyebrow. "Who did you piss off?"

"Have you ever heard of the Jötunns?" she demanded of him, gray eyes flashing in pain and panic. "Because that's what we're up against, Doc."

"The name rings a mild bell," he said, slowly pacing the room with a look of concentration. "I've certainly heard of...but they absolutely couldn't be the same creatures. Well, actually, there was this one woman I met on an abandoned spaceship on this crazy trip to the Nebula Cafe who was telling me about..."

"Doctor," Avalon said, her impatience apparent in her tone. If she wasn't in pain, she might have tried smacking him. As it was, she was reduced to a mild glare.

He looked up sheepishly. "Sorry, Lonni. Where was I...oh yes, Jötunns! Well, from what I understand...well, the Norse myths must have some investment in reality, I suppose. There's no guarantee they're not all monsters, per-se..."

"I doubt they're all evil monsters hell bent on obliterating innocent lives across the galaxy," Avalon said...far too quickly, she realized after the fact when her mentor raised an eyebrow. Not that she was actually trying to protect Loki's reputation to the man she had known for a good chunk of her life or anything. After all, she barely knew the Prince, and he hardly needed defending.

"As I was saying," the Doctor continued, giving her a "let me explain this to you, puny-minded normal person" look that always made Avalon a little defensive, "the Norse myths suggest more than one type of Giant that could be classified under the all-encompassing title of 'Jötunn' as you mentioned."

"These ones hail from Jötunheim, with apparent control over ice and the colder elements," Avalon informed him quickly. "Oh, and they're on the edge of declaring war on Earth. As you can imagine, that's a problem."

The Doctor sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Why am I not surprised?" he breathed, frustration and pain written in his body language and practically dripping from his tone. "You know, I really wouldn't mind spending a couple weeks without some sort of planet-ending catastrophe. Just a short holiday would be absolutely lovely."

"Catastrophes come with the territory of being a Protector of the Universe," Avalon reminded him quietly, swallowing hard at his tone. Sure, the Doc had gone through some...less than ideal mental stages, some of them downright terrifying (losing Rose had been the worst, but he went through a rough patch after Martha chose her own direction), but this was...different. He almost seemed desperate, frantic; borderline manic. This might be worse than she thought. Had losing Donna hurt him that much?

He smiled darkly at her, pain in his eyes. "You know, at one point I actually believed that. But now...I'm not sure it's worth it, Lonni." He stopped pacing for a moment. "I can barely look in the mirror in the morning, and yet...I'm not ready to go. It's the strangest contradiction, and yet it somehow makes sense." A short pause later, and then his head snapped back upwards. "What did you say to the Jötunns to set them off, anyways? I mean, you aren't exactly the most tactful of communicators..."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Avalon stated, a familiar level of snark in her tone. She sighed slightly. "But that's the problem, Doc. I have no idea whatsoever. They just went berserk, yelling at me in some ancient language and chasing me across the ice covered plains of Norway. It was almost as if they knew who I was, but I'm positive I've never seen them before. Does that make any sense?"

"It happens to me all the time, actually," the Doc said. "It's the problem with travelling through the space time continuum in a non-linear fashion, after all. You risk crossing other people's time lines before they are ready to process your existence, and then they see you before you see them. That's the entire point about time being a big ball..."

"Oh, don't go with the 'timey-wimey' explanation, Doc. You really need another metaphor," Avalon groaned, rolling her eyes. "Like a super-charged cloud of particles...or something."

"If there wasn't a serious risk of an inter-species bloodbath here, I would actually be offended," the Doctor informed her, a hurt look crossing his face for a second. "As it stands, I will note your annoyance but ignore it."

Avalon opened her mouth, about to retort, when footsteps echoed down the hallway. Both of them looked up, surprised. The possibility of someone walking around what had been abandoned space was one variable neither Time Lord had factored for, and it clearly was unexpected.

Thinking on his feet, the Doc slipped behind a set of long curtains on the opposite side of the wall, using his sonic screwdriver to pull them all the way to the ground and giving him enough space. Crossing his fingers, he frantically hoped that Lonni would be able to talk her way out of whoever was coming. Being discovered before he'd had a chance to evaluate the situation was not something he was looking forward to. An image of a prison popped to his mind, and he made a face. Good luck, mate, he mentally whispered. You might need it...

#######

The journey to the Bi-Frost, one taken multiple times over the years, was suddenly tense and edgy for Loki. His senses were heightened, and he could feel his skin tingle crisply in the cool air. Every sound made him flinch a little; even the gentle breathing of his horse seemed to pound in his throbbing ears. One glance of his companions suggested that his condition was not personal; he had never seen Thor so on edge about traveling between realms, and even Fandral was (mercifully) silent for once. All of them pivoted and fidgeted with various bags strapped to the horses, making Loki's nerves even worse. Only Odin seemed completely calm, a solid silent steady rock as he pushed his horse into a gallop on the rainbow road towards the Bi-Frost.

The others, fear and trepidation written into their faces, followed him with only a little hesitation. Loki fell towards the back of the group, watching the Warriors Three quietly talk amongst themselves. To his surprise, Sif fell back behind and then rode alongside him.

"How are you holding up, Silver-tongue?" she asked quietly, looking at him. Loki looked up, slightly surprised at the inquiry. Sif was not the type to talk idly before a serious encounter; their last group adventure to Jötunheim had passed in near silence (granted, that entire event stood out in his mind, both due to the actual events and the immediate fall-out. Losing your brother to exile and discovering your true heritage would be revolutionary, even without the pressure of becoming king for a temporary time).

He paused, trying to find the words for exactly what he was feeling. "I am fine, Lady Sif," he said finally, deciding on a near truth that was as good as any. "Why do you ask?"

Sif looked at him, meeting his eyes. In hers, Loki saw impatience and...was that confusion? Though it was subtle, he was almost positive he could view it. "You came with us," she informed him, "even though you must be aware of the risks involved. You nearly murdered their king, and almost obliterated their world. But here you are, riding with us to confront them. I only want to be sure you are well, and not stupidly trying to prove something."

"I only act as my king commands," Loki reminded her, a gentle snake of something rising in his belly. What exactly was she implying? He had no need of glory or motivations that might tempt men like the Warriors Three, but he was hardly a coward. Perhaps, a few years ago when he was still adjusting to his new reality after the Chitari invasion, he might have spun a web of lies and dragged others into a mess of his creation because it was fun. But at some point, apparently, he had turned over a new leaf (well...within reason. He was the God of Mischief and Lies, after all).

Sif snorted, and her horse bobbled at the sound. "I have no doubt you have some other motive, Silver-tongue. Surely, the All-Father's word alone is not enough to drag you from the library...or the healing room, as seems to be the current situation."

Loki's head whipped up, and his glare cut through the space between them. "Jealous, are we, my Lady?" he asked, his voice oozing with a teasing tone. His body language was indicative of a completely different scenario, however. If Sif wanted to mince words...

"Of a Midgardian? Surely, you cannot be serious." Disbelief was clear in Sif's face, and her eyes flashed with pride and dark humour. "I joined in a glorious battle against hundreds of Frost Giants and came out victorious, as you well remember. If my brother's visions are true, all it took was one Jötunn to fell her like a rotting oak tree." She smiled at the image, her small nose raised at a pouting angle.

Loki sucked in air through his own nose, keenly aware of mounting frustration and fury within. Without meaning to, his fingers wrapped around the necklace laced into his belt. If Sif did not shut up soon about Lonni...

Thor suddenly arrived between them, face grim. "Sif, my father needs your compass and expert tracking skills," he said breathlessly, giving her a half-smile. "He wants to plan out our next move prior to entering the Bi-Frost."

Sif bowed her head, acknowledging the order. She rode to the front without pausing to look back. Loki positively glowered at her retreating figure, frustration still exuding out of his every pore. His hands clenched around the reins, a movement not lost on Thor.

"Brother, leave it be," he said quietly. Loki, startled out of his own thoughts, opened his mouth with an easy explanation. Thor held up a hand to silence him. "There is no love lost between Sif and Midgard. I have quite a bit of experience of her rather...pointed views, as you can imagine. Do not take it personally. You cannot ride into Jötunheim with distractions clouding your judgement."

Loki exhaled slightly, trying to release his tense muscles. "I have a sudden appreciation for your new found patience, Thor," he whispered, a ghost of a smile on his face. "I cannot say I share in it, but I will try for your sake."

Thor slipped a hand onto Loki's shoulder, squeezing far tighter than necessary. "I know, and I do welcome the effort."

Loki nearly pulled away, still adjusting to personal contact again from his brother after an extended conflict between them. Before he could continue his argument, or try and voice his feelings, the horses came to a stop. Ahead of them, the others dismounted and walked towards Heimdall's post. Swallowing hard, Loki mimicked their actions. This was it; the so-called 'point of no return'. Their party was about to enter Jötunheim in one last desperate attempt to assuage the oncoming storm, and he could not shake the feeling of dread that settled in his bones. Before he could think of an escape, Sif looked back at him. The challenge in her eyes made him stiffen, then straighten a little bit. For Lonni's sake, he would do this. There was no turning back...


	8. Chapter 8: Meanwhile in the infirmary

Expecting a healer to investigate the voices, Avalon was caught off guard by the woman who walked through the tall oak door. She was skinny, blond and stunningly gorgeous, with blue-grey eyes that held wisdom and age far beyond her apparent state. A simple white gown, made from some sort of lighter fabric, seemed almost casual on her frame where it would be extravagant on any other. For a moment, Avalon processed the new arrival, just looking at the mysterious woman. She had no idea who it was, and her (extremely) limited understanding of Norse mythology left her with no possible options.

Luckily, the woman smiled at her, clearly expecting her confusion. "My apologies for disturbing your rest, Avalon Kimmeldottir," she said, a gentle look of compassion in her eyes. Her voice was light and high pitched, but her face had lines indicative of plenty of weathered storms. "I merely came to see how you were faring. My husband has spoken highly of you, as has my youngest son."

Avalon's mind slowly slid the pieces of the puzzle into place, understanding the position of the woman if not her name. "Your Majesty, I had no idea who you were," she breathed, bowing her head respectfully to the Queen. On the inside, her head was spinning. Loki's mother was here. Her face flushed slightly, and her hearts sped up. It was almost funny how the thought of preventing an inter-galactic war was perfectly normal yet the possibility of talking to the Queen, the mother of the man who...well, that thought alone made her terrified.

Frigga, sensing her discomfort and her hesitation, slowly sat down at the foot of the bed. "Are you feeling better, youngling?" she asked.

Avalon nodded. "I am, Your Highness. Thank you again for allowing me to stay here."

"My son would not have it any other way," Frigga assured her. "He's been quite concerned about your recovery. I'll be excited to let him know when he returns that you have improved significantly."

Avalon subconsciously caught the tense. "Are you...concerned for them, your Highness?" she asked. "Surely, any sort of party led by the All Father would be more than prepared for anything that might come their way, especially these monsters."

"Their preparation is not what concerns me," Frigga said quietly. "Loki is in a somewhat troublesome position with the Jotunns, and going to their land might be problematic for him."

"I would think the opposite," Avalon stated, her body tensing subconsciously at the suggestion in the queen's tone. "Is he not one of them?"

Frigga mulled over what information to trust the youngling with. After all, court gossip had spread many false things about her son, but the truth was very intense in its own right. "He had a falling out with his biological father a few years ago," she said finally, deciding half-truths were better than full lies. "Things were said that should not have been said. They don't see enough of each other for it to be an immediate problem. But no one knows how Laufey will react to seeing him again."

"Loki hardly strikes me as the type to be impulsive about his own safety. Why would he undergo such risk?" Avalon demanded, momentarily forgetting who she was talking to. "Is he trying to prove himself to the AllFather?"

Frigga gave her a small smile. "He might be, youngling. I know he's never really gotten out of Thor's shadow or been satisfied with his lot in life. Perhaps he feels responsible for the state of the Jotunns or he wants to prevent unneeded bloodshed. It is difficult to postulate when he barely discusses things. I do know he was concerned for your well-being in particular, however."

Avalon swallowed hard, slightly blushing. Behind the wall curtain, the Doctor tried not to flinch. Lonni had an admirer in Asgard? That might get extremely complicated. Time Lords and settling was nearly impossible, but trying to explain that to the Aesir would be...well difficult, to say the least.

"I know Loki has been attentive to my needs, but I'm not entirely sure what you are suggesting, Your Highness," Avalon said quietly, feigning outright ignorance. "He is a comrade, and an ally to be sure, but I do not see him beyond that."

Frigga mentally noted the lack of outright denial regarding potential romance and tried not to smile. Perhaps Loki's interests were not as misplaced as she had initially thought. "I was not suggesting anything beyond the norm," she assured Avalon. She froze for a moment, as if listening for something. Abruptly, she stood up, surprising Avalon with her sudden movements. "I must leave you here for now, but know that you are in good hands. Should you need anything..." she waved a hand, and a bell appeared on the table. Turning, she left the room, her heels clicking the entire way down the hall.

Avalon let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, glad to (for now) avoid questioning by Frigga.

The Doctor poked his head out from behind the curtain. "Everything all right, Lonni?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "From the sounds of it, you've really got a problem."

"It's not exactly a problem per se, Doc," Avalon protested, testing her ribs by stretching a little. The pain was much less than before, suggesting that the healing process was proceeding smoothly. "It's complicated."

"Try me," was his intelligent and inquisitive response, sitting down at the bed with a glint of something in his eyes. "Start with the part where a Prince of Asgard and a God to boot knows you at all, much less can possibly be concerned for you enough to bring you here, where no mortal dares tread."

"I saved his life when he was just a kid," Avalon explained, sitting up slightly. "He was lost in the middle of nowhere, threatened by Vikings and I took care of him until his father Odin arrived to take him home. I figured the whole thing would just go away, and that he would forget about me; hell, it's been centuries, Doc. But somehow, he didn't. Instead, he's been looking for me, and finds me just in time to save my life and came crashing into a massive threat."

"I've done crazier things for people I barely knew," the Doc said, smiling remorsefully at the thought of...Donna, again. Dammit. He fought the urge to tear up, and quickly changed the subject. "So you trust him?"

"Trust is a tenuous issue with me, Doc, as you're all too well aware," Avalon told him gently. "I don't distrust him, technically speaking. I just..."

Her mind spun for a moment, trying to rationalise the completely irrational. What did she feel for him? Certainly, some level of respect was the first thing that came to her mind. Clearly, they had some similar aspects and characteristics in them (the tension she had witnessed between Odin and Loki certainly mirrored some of the complicated emotions she felt for her own dead father, and it was quite clear that they were both driven to be outsiders by the societies they lived in. Of course, her isolation was based on personal choice; his seemed based on his heritage). Also, he made her feel accepted in a situation that normally she would avoid like a plague.

She closed her eyes, considering the facts at hand. Although she had barely known him, she felt relaxed and comfortable with Loki in a way that she did not feel with the other people she had met on her travels. Clearly, Frigga suspected there was something more to their relationship. If Loki felt more than mere camaraderie towards her...

She squashed that thought, regardless of her own secret desires in her gut. If he knew the truth about the woman who had saved him, if he ever learned the horrors she had seen and the incomprehensible actions she had taken...he would run away, knocking her off the pedestal he had placed her upon during his childhood. The reminders of her pain made Avalon shiver and swallow hard. No reason to get her hopes up. After all, it was her curse to live (for the most part) alone in the universe.

The Doctor watched a slew of emotions cross Lonni's face with fascination. Clearly, this Loki thing was troubling her on some level. He coughed, bringing her out of her pensive revelries. Her grey eyes whipped back to look up at him. "Lonni, I just need to figure out how we're going to approach this thing. If a war is going to be fought or avoided, I need to know the players in the game. Clearly, Loki seems to be in the thick of things from what he's told you...even with his godly responsibilities. Lying and whatnot."

Avalon made a face of frustration. "Yes, I realize what he's known for, Doc. I've been taking things with a grain of salt. I just...I can't explain it, but he seems to be telling me the truth about himself. Either that or he's a really good liar." She considered it. "I'm worried about what's going to happen, though. He might get over his head to make things right by his father."

"What's he got to prove?" The Doctor asked.

"Everything," Avalon informed him. "I mean, I could have cut the tension with a knife when Odin walked in here. Clearly, things are not exactly kosher between the two. If he's trying to impress his father..."

"Maybe his father's not the only one he's trying to impress," the Doctor said ruefully, raising an eyebrow.

Avalon stared at him, her jaw nearly dropping at the obvious implications. "You're not serious. Doc, he's got nothing to prove to me."

"And yet, if your account is to be believed, he's dropped whatever his godly duties are to shift between the realms, save you from these Jotunns, and then join a peace party with a group that has every reason to murder him on sight...in order to prevent said Jotunns from destroying a world that means nothing to him in the grand scheme of things but means everything to you. Did I miss anything?"

Avalon wanted to smack him for the excited look on his face, the look that appeared when he had figured something out with a couple of intertwining pieces and could answer the deep philosophical questions of life with more than just the usual babbling. He was being...

Well, actually he was being perfectly rational. Perhaps Loki was trying to impress her. The idea threw her off guard, leading to an inner confusion. There was something about him; she couldn't put her finger on it. Whatever it was, it was probably dangerous for both of them.

"Doc..." she began, but stopped at the high-pitched whining that cut through the room. Both Time Lords winced at the sound. It was a unique frequency, high enough to be undetectable to most sentient species (although some Earth dogs could hear it, and would start whimpering when it went off. Avalon always wondered if that was why the Doc had a metallic dog instead of a real one) but crystal clear to them. It was the TARDIS's warning alarm, and that suggested one thing: someone or something had stumbled upon the TARDIS.

"You better go deal with that, Doc," Avalon breathed, fighting the urge to clamp a pillow over her ears. "Maybe you can talk them into believing it's just a random blue box."

"I'll see what I can do," he told her quietly, smiling. Then his face suddenly became serious, staring deep into her grey eyes with powerful intensity. "In the meantime, keep your eyes open and stay out of trouble. You may trust Loki right now, but don't agree to do anything automatically. They may try and leverage your Time Lord status, but you know the potential costs in that all too well."

Leaving her with that, he stepped out into the hall, determined to stop whoever was messing with his TARDIS. The old girl would be fine, but he needed to batten down the hatches because danger was around the corner. He could practically taste the panic in the air, but he would not be trapped into a corner or forced into a senseless action. He would stay to protect his friend and protégé, but he would not fight a war. He had done far too much fighting already...


	9. Complications and Nightmares

Something about landing on Jotunheim always stole Loki's breath away, leaving him without air in his lungs and lightheaded for a moment. The air was thick with snow when they touched down, staying in a tight group within the arc of the Bi-Frost's power. Loki could practically smell the tension in the air, and had no doubt his fellow travellers were the same. Things could turn from friendly to deadly here in an instant, with nothing to warn of the shift.

The air hummed, and Loki saw something cross Thor's face as it was slimly illuminated in front of him. He could not see the others, but he was positive they were preparing themselves for the confrontation ahead. He took a breath, and slowly let it out.

Their travel to the hall of the Jotunns was relatively uneventful. Of course, the edge in the air did not abate for a second, making even the gentlest of noises seem like an incoming storm of chaos. By the time the party finally stopped in front of the gates, every one of them was humming with anxiety and anticipation.

"Asgardians, why have you come? Have you learned nothing from your previous transgressions?" A voice boomed from behind the gates, making all of them jump a couple inches and step back warily.

Odin stepped forward. "Laufey, I would have words with you," he said loudly. "We need to talk now, before lines are crossed anew."

"There is nothing left to say to you, All-Father," the voice snarled. "Surely you have acted enough against us and our interests. What interest have you in what we do on Midgard?"

Thor stepped forward aggressively, clearly about to jump into the fray. Loki gripped his brother's arm, silently praying that he would let Odin handle things. Thor might be well-intentioned and enthusiastic, but he had no way with words. Diplomacy was needed here, not a show of force. Thankfully, Thor did not speak out. But his arm was tense under Loki's hand, and he clearly was not happy about the conversation.

"Why are you amassing forces, Laufey?" Odin demanded. "Surely the humans have done nothing to deserve your wrath against them in such a manner."

"It is not the humans we seek to fight, All Father. Our argument lies with the young Time Lord who walks among them. Had your adopted son not...interfered, we would have resolved this. As it stands, she cannot be allowed to live. Surely you see that."

"What do you want from me?" Odin asked, his face strained with confusion.

"Help us find the Time Lord, and do not interfere in our justice. Do this in good faith, and my army will stay out of Midgard and away from your precious humans."

Loki's throat tightened, and panic rocked his mind. While he had long suspected something like this, the confirmation was terrifying. Clearly, Lonni was a threat to the Jotunns, one that they were willing to take drastic and aggressive measures to remove. Frantically, he prayed Odin could negotiate out of this. The thought of giving in to their demands...

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. The threat of losing her so soon after finding her, the possibility of his father giving in and handing her over like so much political collateral...he couldn't take it. It hit him that this, this strong desire and ridiculous impulse to save her from certain death against all odds was love. And dammit, he was head over heels.

The physical sensation of Thor gripping his arm in an attempt to steady him brought Loki back from his mental trauma. Shooting a glance over, he saw the concern written on his brother's face. He raised an eyebrow, trying to shake off the inner storm. It was extremely difficult for him to do so.

"It seems that we find ourselves at a deadlock, Laufey," Odin explained quietly. "You demand something from me that I cannot give. War or no, I will not let you sacrifice a Time Lord."

"You would deny my thirst for justice without hearing the cause?" Laufey hissed, stepping out from behind the gates. Instantly, the entire Asgardian party grappled for weaponry at their belts. Thor took a half step in front of Loki, trying to block a direct attack from the Jotunn King on his half-brother. Laufey sneered at them, enjoying their panic, before turning back to Odin. "What reason have you to protect the Time Lord, All Father?"

"What reason have you to wish her dead?" Odin responded. "The Time Lords are a peaceful people, gifted with the task of preventing conflict amongst the various species."

"You know nothing of the true nature of the Time Lords," Laufey growled. "My people have suffered greatly, and Avalon Kimmeldottir and her kind is entirely at fault. I will have my vengeance, even if I have to attack Midgard to draw her out."

Loki stepped forward, not thinking clearly about consequences but solely focused on Avalon. His hand dug into the necklace she had given him, stinging his palm. "Surely you must be mistaken. What could Avalon done to garner such hatred from you?"

"You, son of mine, are one to talk of gaining hatred," Laufey snarled, turning on Loki. Thor tightened his grip on his hammer, but Loki stood bravely (and rashly, he realized. How confronting Laufey seemed like a smart idea was lost on him). Laufey snorted. "Do not think your previous actions against us have been forgotten. Were you alone, you would not survive an hour. As for the Time Lord...it is no business of yours why we seek our righteousness. Know this, all of you: I cannot be persuaded from my current state of mind or our current stated action. Either give me what I seek, or prepare for war. The choice is yours."

He vanished into thin air, leaving the peace party still clinging to their weaponry in vain. Suddenly, the wind boomed with Laufey's voice all around. "You have two days, All Father. I will not be patient beyond that."

Loki breathed in, fighting utter panic. Looking into his father's eyes, he saw a glimmer of what could only be described as defeat. Sighing in pain, Odin looked skyward. "Heimdell, open the Bi-Frost!" he yelled. The party was transported upwards in complete and total silence, pushed into a corner with no satisfactory exit.

#########################

She was dreaming again. At least, it had to be a dream; she could not have left her bed and wandered off that far. Coldness flooded her veins, and an icy wind whipped her face. Avalon opened her eyes to a world covered with snow and ice, an isolated and barren land that she had never seen before. Yet somehow, deep in her bones, she couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity. Something had happened here. Something terrible.

Around her, she heard loud screaming on the wind, moans of pain and the sound of chaos. Her blood, already chilled, ran colder still. Frantically, she scavenged about, looking for a source of the noise. She was supposed to help creatures, not let them be slaughtered.

She ran towards the source of the noise, her braid whipping in the oncoming wind. As she crested a snowbank, an all too familiar noise pierced the air, bringing dread into her very core.

"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

Avalon shot up in her bed, breathing heavily with her hearts racing. Adrenaline flooded her system, making every inch of her tingle with anticipation and sheer survival instincts. It took a few seconds before she felt the firm grip on her arm, and looked up into Loki's green eyes as he stood over her, armour removed for comfort. She saw panic and confusion in his eyes as they glinted in the candlelight.

"Breathe, Lonni," he demanded, tightening his grip ever so slightly on her arm. "You're safe here. Nothing will hurt you. I promise."

Avalon took a breath, sucking the oxygen into her lungs. What was that phrase the Doctor had picked up from Winston Churchill? Keep Calm And Carry On. She took another breath, and finally felt the adrenaline leave her system. Her hearts slowed down to a far more manageable level.

Loki, feeling her pulse relax, loosened his grip with a slight smile. "Was it the attack?" he asked, concerned about her mental state. While her physical wounds seemed to be healing quite nicely, it was often the psychological scars that were far harder to recover from.

"No," Avalon said, fear crossing her face. "Something...something far worse." She shivered, memories of previous encounters flooding her mind. Of all the things she had to dream of...

"An old foe?" Loki asked, noticing the fear and feeling his heart pulse slightly faster as a result. If Lonni was afraid...

"Yes," was the quiet response. "Trust me, not the type of species you want to meet in a dark alley. Or anywhere, for that matter." She paused, considering, and then turned towards him. "What news from your mission, Loki?"

A look crossed his face, and almost instantly Avalon knew. Well, she didn't know the specifics (despite what the Doctor claimed, Time Lords were not mind readers. Observant and perceptive, perhaps. But even humans could pull that off; Avalon had practically grown up on Sherlock Holmes mysteries rooted in the simple concept of observing something versus simply seeing it), but she knew it was not good news. Not at all.

Loki sighed, carefully choosing his words. "I fear we could not persuade the Jotunns from their current goal of war," he said quietly. "They demand something we could not sacrifice."

"What?" Avalon breathed, although she had a pretty damn good idea based solely on the way they had hunted her down in the snow back on Earth.

Loki looked deep into her eyes. Avalon saw the pain glinting in his. "You," he said finally. "They want to extract justice on you, claiming you have somehow wronged them."

"I have done no such thing!" Avalon protested, but the gears in her mind were beginning to spin rapidly. If they were so certain that she had wronged them, but her present self was equally certain that she had never seen them prior to being attacked...

"I know you would not," Loki informed her, squeezing her shoulder gently. A spark of electricity shot down Avalon's spine from where the God gripped her, and her whole body tingled pleasantly. He was so close to her now, right in her space...

She shook her head, clearing everything from it. "There's a piece of time traveling that you can't always factor for, Loki," she explained quickly. "The idea of conflicting timelines is something that needs to be considered here. It's a distinct possibility that future me will be pushed into some situation where I harm the Jotunns of the past, something they hold against me today although it hasn't happened yet on my end."

Loki considered her explanation, pursing his lips. "I suppose that makes some sense," he admitted finally. "Clearly, we need to be careful about what time-traveling you do in the future."

"I can't always control it," Avalon informed him quietly. "Some things are not meant to be messed with. Changing my future would have a heavy impact on my present." She thought about the lecture of fixed points that the Doc threw at her occasionally when he was in a snippy mood and sighed.

Loki stared at her, the cogs in his mind spinning furiously. "So you can't control it, but you might do something that would make all the Jotunns furious with you...but it's their past and your future, so it could happen at any time which makes preparing for it almost impossible. Did I miss anything?"

Avalon smiled at him slightly. "I'm so glad you can follow the important stuff, Loki. It's hard enough for me to explain it once. I hate having to re-explain things."

Something melted in his chest at her smile, the ice slowly evaporating. The room got hotter, and Loki swallowed. Was this love, as well? He kept being thrown off by little things about her that made him feel...new. He liked it, to tell the truth.

A servant appeared in the doorway, breaking the mood between them. Both looked up, and Loki fought to keep his frustration hidden. "Yes?" he asked, trying to stay polite even with the interruption.

"My Prince, your father needs you in the throne room now," the servant explained, bowing slightly to show respect. He turned on his heel and left quickly.

Loki pinched the bridge of his nose. "Odds are high he just wants to debrief after our expedition," he said, looking over at Avalon's face as he saw concern. "I don't expect him to make a decision now. I'll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime..." He twisted his hand, concentrating for a moment. A bowl of soup and some bread appeared on a small tray next to Avalon's bed.

Avalon did her best to not show complete shock. Magic was still a new phenomena to her; she hardly needed to act like a human about it (although his skill seemed far beyond what she would anticipate as normal...clearly, his training had paid in dividends). "Thank you, Loki," she said. "Good luck."

He left the room, his heart pounding anew. If he wasn't a magician already, he would have sworn she was enchanting him...

###############

"You cannot be seriously considering it!" Loki yelled, staring at his father's face for any sign of falsehood. Surely he wouldn't go along with the ridiculous demands...

"Loki, if it prevents war amongst the Jotunns and the humans..." Thor began, but Loki cut him off, his eyes wild with anger.

"Your only concern is for the Midgardian scientist Foster, Brother! You have little need for the others down below, and we both know it!"

"Loki, perhaps Laufey's argument is valid," Odin said quietly, jumping in before his youngest flew off the rails and did something regrettable. "If Avalon angered them somehow, they have the right to claim vengeance."

"Through murdering her, a Time Lord?" Loki demanded, staring at him. "I cannot believe what I'm hearing from you both. You let her stay here with a promise of sanctuary. I brought her to Asgard because I knew she would be safe. Now you threaten to turn that sacred concept on its head."

"Laufey will slaughter the innocents of Earth, Brother," Thor boomed. "Hundreds will die."

"Let them," Loki breathed. "Avalon is worth all of them combined. I will not let you send her to certain death, Father." He stared defiantly at Odin, anger in every muscle. "I will not lose her again."

"You're thinking like an impulsive child," Odin told him, his eye coated in a layer of sadness from life lost in history. "She may not be worthy of the pedestal you have placed her upon, my son. I will consider your objections, but I cannot risk this kingdom for the sake of a friendship."

"It is far more than friendship that I feel for her," Loki breathed, stunned by his own daring. Frustration in his veins, he stormed towards the door. He spun at the last second, staring at Thor. "You would do anything for the woman you love, brother. I will be the same."

It slammed, reverberating in the throne room. Thor was stunned, staring in wonderment. Rarely before had Loki been forthright and upfront with his emotions; normally, it took plenty of mead to get any truth pried from his silver tongue. His claim of love towards Avalon certainly seemed heartfelt, driven out by the distress they now found themselves in. It was a sticky situation indeed, one that Thor could see no compromise from.

He turned back towards his father. "Father, we must discern the truth in this matter. Perhaps, if we know the nature of the offense we can negotiate with Laufey."

"Perhaps," Odin said, considering. "I shall ask Avalon what she knows on the matter." He turned, walking out of the Throne Room. Thor quickly followed behind him.

From behind the large throne at the end of the hall (which was not his most brilliant hiding place ever but had turned out to be quite effective), the Doctor slowly stepped out, taking deep breaths to slow down his heart. Things were completely insane, but they were not yet out of his control. After hearing the conversation between the royal Aesir, his mind was firmly made up. No matter what it took, he was getting Lonni out of here. The sooner, the better, for both their sanities...

###################


	10. Chapter 10: Trouble on the Horizon

Loki paced his bedroom, striving to control his raging emotions. _This _was why he tried to keep himself above the fray of court, he realized. As much as it was almost intoxicating to imagine life as a bunch of chess pieces, moving around in a desperate bid for superiority, the risk of reality getting in the way was far too high. Because now, as he was well aware, he was emotionally involved in the game. His queen was in serious trouble.

The irony of that thought made him pause. Even in a non-metaphorical sense, Lonni was the first person he could seriously consider marrying, much less ruling with. Years ago, his father had tried to set him up with Sigyn as a 'good match' but she always struck him as boring and passive. Yes, she was gorgeous and intelligent; he was well aware of that fact. But after his true heritage came to light...well, he'd gone off the deep end, as it had been phrased in the rumors. Sigyn had been distant ever since, and while Loki missed having an easy target for some tricks (there was only so many times he could change Thor's wine into snakes before his brother got angry at him, after all), he could hardly blame the young Princess. He was hardly worthy for the faint of heart.

And he had never bothered opening his heart to another before, not like _this_. With the threat of Lonni being put in what he knew would be mortal peril, he was panicking. And he hated it. He did _not _panic. Volstagg was the one who would start twitching and making excuses when things started to go badly, not him. He just needed to think...

He spun around suddenly at the sound of a soft knock at his door. "Brother, I am _no _mood for a chat!" he growled, ignoring the slight buzzing sound.

The door opened, and Loki nearly gawked from utter shock. A strange man stood before him. He rapidly recognized the clothing as a "suit" from his recent time on Midgard; this one had stripes all over it. The shoes he was wearing were also Midgardian clearly based on the material used. But somehow, Loki had an instinctive feeling that he was no _ordinary _mortal.

For his part, the man rapidly stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "Glad that I picked the right room on the first go," he said rapidly, eyes wandering around the room and alighting on every crevice. "Now, to business!" He turned towards Loki, and saw the confusion and anger in his eyes. "I suppose I should explain first...but that would take far more time than we have available to us here, which is quite unfortunate because it's quite an interesting story actually..."

Green fire pinned him to the wall. "Get to the point," Loki hissed, anger overpowering his confusion. "Before I have to curse you."

"Touchy," the man muttered, rolling his eyes. "All right, fine. I'm the Doctor, and I need your help. How's that?"

Loki relinquished the fire slightly, letting the Doctor down from the wall. His mind whirled. "How did you _get _here?" he demanded. "The Bifrost is carefully guarded day and night. Even magic can be easily detected. Trust me on that one."

"That's actually part of the crazy fun story that we really don't have time for," was the quiet response. "Let's say that I have a ship and leave it at that." The man ran a long fingered hand through his hair and sighed. "I'm a friend of Lonni's. I'm here to get her out of danger."

"In your so-called ship?" Loki asked, an idea planting in his mind.

"Yes," the Doctor told him, smiling. "She'd be safe with me. The Jotunns and your father wouldn't be able to touch her."

"That might not stop them," Loki said, concentrating his energy. "However..."

A duplicate of Lonni, complete with bandages from the injury, appeared before them. The Doctor took a step back, stunned at the authenticity of the woman before him. Slowly, he reached out a hand. She felt real under his hand.

"I can control this for 6 hours," Loki explained quietly. "That should give you more than enough time to get her to safety." He swallowed, considering the next question. "I cannot go with you without raising serious suspicions here. So, I need to know, Doctor: Will I ever see her again?"

The Doctor sighed heavily. "I can't guarantee that," he said. "You know how difficult it was to track her down in the first place. I can't always find her when I want to."

Loki considered the man's words, his heart rapidly sinking. Given a choice, he had no idea. His gut trusted the Doctor, but his heart raged at the possibility of losing the woman he loved. "I..." he breathed, refusing to make eye contact.

The Doctor nodded sympathetically, knowing from experience how painful the sensation was. "I can give you a proper farewell," he offered. Humming, he thought. "Perhaps if you had some form of communication with her..."

Loki nodded. "I'll take my chances," he agreed quietly. "It's better to have her alive and out there rather than risk losing her to the Jotunns."

"Speaking of," the Doctor said quickly, "Did they ever say exactly _why _they wanted her dead? I know some cultures can be aggressive, but this seems over the top, especially towards a Time Lord."

"No," Loki admitted. "But Lonni said something about...conflicting timelines? Does that mean anything to you?"

The Doctor swore quietly. "I suppose that makes the most sense," he said. Suddenly, it hit him. "Did she have any..._dreams_?"

Loki looked up, making eye contact with the Doctor. "Is that significant, Doctor?"

"It might be," the Doctor demurred. "Sometimes, Time Lords can grasp glimpses of the future in their dreams. It's a rare occurrence, but..."

"She had at least two," Loki told him. "The more recent one shook her up dreadfully. She said something about a species that I would not want to meet in a dark alley. I didn't..." He stopped, staring at the Doctor's face. "Doctor?"

The Doctor felt the blood drain from his face. There was only one species, one foe that Lonni was really, _truly _terrified of. If that was in her future, and the Jotunns were involved...well, he could suddenly understand their desire for blood against her. This was _not _good.

"You know," Loki breathed, gripping the man's arm. "_Tell _me, Doctor. Let me help."

Drawing a shaky breath, the Doctor gathered his thoughts. "We need to get to the infirmary," he told the tall man before him. "I can fill you in on the way."

###############

Avalon looked up from her soup as Odin swept into her room, trailed by a blonde man that she didn't recognize. He smiled at her gently, clearly curious about her, but said nothing as he sat down in one of the chairs. Odin stayed standing, his grim expression making Avalon's hearts beat mildly faster.

"Allfather?" she asked, curious about the stranger. "Is everything alright?"

Odin breathed heavily, then looked at her with his one good eye. "That's hard to say, Avalon Kimmeldottir. My eldest son Thor and I need to talk with you about the Jotunns."

Avalon nodded, expecting this from the moment he walked in. "What exactly do you want to know? My knowledge is rather limited, as you can imagine."

"They want to kill you," Thor said from his chair. "Can you imagine a reason as to why that would be?"

Avalon pursed her lips. "No, Highness," she said rapidly. "I cannot. Were they specific in their charges against me?"

"Laufey, their king, seems to believe that you caused them suffering," Odin informed her. "There is a chance he was mistaken..."

"I doubt it, Allfather" Avalon cut him off. "There are very few Time Lords left, and we're rather memorable. If he thinks that I caused them pain and suffering, there's a good chance he's correct."

"Yet you have no knowledge of the events?" Thor demanded. "Could your memory be faulty?"

Avalon sighed, wondering how to approach this. Something told her that Thor, while rather muscular, did not share his brother's level of intelligence. "I am tasked with travelling throughout time and space, Highness. There's the possibility that whatever I did, I haven't done it yet. It's in my future, but their past."

"That can be done?" Thor said, clearly stunned at the news. "An action can be taken before you're aware of taking it? Then perhaps you can...undo the action when you arrive at it!" He grinned, clearly happy at solving the problem.

Avalon controlled the urge to break out the physics involved in a full explanation as to why that wouldn't work quite as smoothly as he was imagining it. "I can't change the future without seriously impacting the past," she said quietly. "If I prevent it from happening, then the Jotunns won't attack me in retaliation, and..."

"Loki would never rescue you," Thor said, his face suddenly twitching as though he was grasping at a serious problem. Avalon looked at him, confused. Of all the details for the Prince to connect, that particular one seemed almost...trivial. When she looked at him, Thor quickly looked away, acting like she'd caught him with his hands in the metaphorical cookie jar.

"Indeed," she demurred, ignoring the reaction. It was strange...but Thor seemed slightly strange overall. "I would never be here."

Odin, watching the interaction, stepped back in. "This is a complication we hadn't accounted for," he mused. "I will see if I can hold off the Jotunns. If you have yet to commit a crime, they can hardly punish you for it."

"That's a semantical approach to the problem," Avalon said quietly. "I doubt they are willing to listen to semantics at this point. We need to address this head on."

"What do you mean?" Odin asked, staring at her. If she was seriously suggesting what he suspected...

"I need to confront them," Avalon said quietly. "Will they agree to a trial of some sort?"

"We can certainly ask them for one," Thor said quietly. "Or, at the very least, for them to present additional evidence against you."

"Please do," Avalon said. "If they have proof..." she sighed, heart heavy. "I cannot be outside the law, much as I wish otherwise. I am not willing to risk Earth in the balance of things, if war can be at all avoided."

Odin nodded once, and looked at his son. "We will reopen communications and keep you updated, Avalon Kimmeldottir. Thank you for your cooperation."

As they walked out, Avalon felt her stomach plummet. If she was found guilty, especially after a trial...she didn't want to go down that path. Not now.

#############

"So these...Daleks," Loki said, mildly confused. "They attack and...exterminate species because they were created for the sole purpose of destruction?"

"Yes," the Doctor said, breathing heavily as they sprinted through the halls on the way to the infirmary. "They're also unstoppable. And they cannot feel emotions. No fear, no love, no anything. Just pure murder in their bodies."

"Sounds disturbing," Loki admitted quickly. Secretly, the thought of having an unstoppable army at his disposal that felt no fear and only destroyed what was in front of them was slightly thrilling...

The Doctor looked over at him far too perceptively. "Don't bother," he told the Aesir. "You wouldn't be able to control them if you tried. Trust me."

Loki blushed slightly. "Guilty," he said. "Old habits and all of that."

A snort was his only response. "I suppose I shouldn't be all that surprised that the younger brother of a man who can conjure thunder and lightning with his bare hands would have serious power issues," the Doctor said. "Although clearly, Lonni sees _something _in you."

Loki fought to keep the blush from growing on his cheeks. "How do you know her, exactly?" he asked, eyes glancing for potential witnesses.

"We're old friends who've had a few adventures together," the Doctor said, smiling. Loki, hearing the tone in his voice, turned towards him questioningly. He coughed. "Not like that, per se. I fought alongside her father a _long _time ago. Looking after her was just my responsibility."

"You're a veteran?" Loki asked. "You seem...well, more skilled with words, not swords."

"Like you?" the Doctor inquired, raising an eyebrow. "You're not the type to pick a fight either, Loki. You're too smart about the whole thing, really. And yet, you're still here, about to disobey your own father to save a Time Lord you know almost nothing about."

"She's worth saving," Loki said quickly. "Lonni is...well, she means alot to me. I can't explain it, Doctor."

The Doctor stopped suddenly, spinning around. "You're in love with her," he declared, smiling broadly. "Honestly, truly, madly in love with her."

"I've never been in love before," Loki protested, frustrated that this _stranger _could somehow read his thoughts. "All I know is that she's safe. And kind. And perceptively intelligent. And beautiful. If all of that means love..."

"Don't bother protesting," the Doctor said. "I won't say anything about it. That's your end of the bargain." He took a step forward, then turned back again, his eyes flashing with a warning. "But I swear that if you hurt her, if you string her along and shatter her heart...I will hunt you down across space and time."

Loki swallowed hard, staring at the anger in the Doctor's face. "I would not dare, Doctor," he breathed, backing up. "She means too much to me now."

"Good," the Doctor said. "Let's go get her out of here, then."

#########################

Avalon was standing up and slowly walking around the room, pacing and wincing every few seconds. Her body was on fire, every inch burning up, but the pain was spread outwards. She was going to hurt for a week, but it was manageable pain. She'd survived with worse.

As she straightened out her spine, breathing in, her body was suddenly struck by an all too familiar tingling sensation. She froze, knowing what was happening but wanting to deny it all the same. "Damn," she breathed. Her inability to control her time traveling ability was rearing its all too ugly head.

Behind her, she heard the door fly open. Her world slowly fading, she turned around and stared straight into Loki's green eyes. Panic was written all over his face as he clutched for her desperately, looking like a drowning club grasping for a lifeboat. "LONNI!" he yelled, his voice ringing in the silent air. His fading grip on her shoulder was the last thing Avalon clung to as the rest of Asgard slowly disappeared and she felt into the all too familiar abyss...


	11. Chapter 11: The Hunt Begins

A/N: Hello all! I wanted to clear something up before I continued...

What occurred at the end of last chapter was Lonni 'traveling' through space and time against her will and out of her control. While there's no evidence to suggest that full Time Lords can do this (although I'd like to think that not every Time Lord has a TARDIS to drive and yet still does some traveling), I'm labeling it a "genetic mutational power" of some sort as a result of her hybrid status. Lonni does not have a TARDIS; for a chunk of her adult life, she's been passing through time and space without meaning to because her Time Lord father left before she could be properly trained. Her adventures with the Doctor do involve the TARDIS, but he cannot always find her where she's supposed to be. I apologize for any and all confusion regarding that.

Also, I'm currently announcing a temporary hiatus on this fic while I do NaNoWriMo. I may update again between now and December, but it's not a guarantee. Thank you for your understanding.

As always, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta-reader, Alexandra the Dreamer. Hope y'all enjoy!

#################################

"No no no!" The Doctor yelled from the doorway, desperation oozing from his tone. "This is NOT good!" Swinging wildly in a panic, he punched the wooden door in front of him and immediately began hopping around with a sore hand. The door was untouched, as solid as ever.

Loki, frozen on the infirmary floor, hardly flinched at the man behind him. His entire world had come to a screeching halt, hinging on that instant when the love of his life had slipped through his fingers and he had been powerless to stop her. He felt everything in that instant, but overpowering all else was a terrifying sense of loss.

The Doctor turned towards him, thinking rapidly. "Loki, we need to find her. We will find her; I promise you."

"How…?" Loki breathed, staring up for the first time. "You said it yourself, Doctor. She cannot be tracked as she travels; she needs to be in one place long enough. Even if I have Heimdall look for her, she could be anywhere in space and time. I have no idea where to begin, and by the time we found her..."

The Doctor paced frantically, his entire body tense. "I might be able to track her before her energy settles if I had some sort of DNA sample," he said quietly. "She's weak and recovering; she couldn't have gone very far in space or time. Have they changed her bandages recently?"

"If they did, the dirty ones would have been disposed of instantly," Loki said. "The healers here are finicky about cleanliness." Suddenly, it came to him. "Doctor, is DNA anything like essence?"

The Doctor stopped mid pace, and spun around. "What do you have?" he demanded of the Aesir.

Loki held up the necklace with shaky hands, adrenaline re-entering his system.

The Doctor stared, absolutely stunned. "She was rather attached to that," he breathed, holding it up to the light by the string with a pencil to avoid potential contamination. "She just gave it to you?"

"I was entering into a potential war zone as a hostile figure with no guaranteed promise of return," Loki informed him quietly. "She was only returning what I had gifted her to begin with."

"Really?" The Doctor said, raising an eyebrow in interest. "That necklace came from you?"

"I was 10 at the time," Loki said, mildly defensive. "I liked ornate patterns and shiny things. And she said something about always wandering. I thought it was perfect."

The Doctor smiled broadly, gripping Loki's arm tightly. "This is exactly what we need, Loki. Do you need to make any preparations here? Because I can prepare my...ship very quickly, and we'll go find her."

"I need to let my father know what happened to her," Loki said quietly. "So that he does not believe Lonni to be some sort of coward. Once I do that, I will be prepared. My brother might wish to come along and assist us, of course..."

The Doctor considered. "We might need him. Having fire power in case of emergencies isn't a bad thing."

"I'll do what I can," Loki assured him, walking out the door but turning back at the last second. "Doctor..."

"We will find her, Loki," was the quiet response. "No matter what it takes."

###########

The frigid wind whipped her hair around, and she swore quietly, desperate for the warmth of the healing room. Even though she was just starting to feel like a prisoner in a cage there, at least she hadn't been battling the elements. But out here...

Avalon considered her options, observing the icy surroundings she had landed in. In all frankness, they were few and far between. She was clothed in a thin cotton shirt and pants (apparently, Loki had realized the impracticality of putting her in a gown. The thought made her smile for a brief second). Apparently, her bra had been removed for convenient access to her injuries. Her entire chest was bandaged; it provided a fair amount of support for her breasts, given the circumstances.

Another gust of cold wind made her shiver, bringing her out of her pondering state. She would not last more than a day in this storm, if that. She needed warmth, a safe and secure location, and eventually food and water; the faster she found all three, the better. Avalon rapidly scoured the nearby rock wall for a large crevice, the newfound adrenaline speeding up the beating of her twin hearts. The one plus of being exposed to the elements was that her pain was completely gone. However, she was all too well aware that she would soon lose all feeling in her body, leaving her at high risk for hypothermia.

Her desperate search paid off in dividends unexpectedly. There was a rather decently sized cave a few hundred yards in front of her. She just needed to get to it...in one piece. On the wind, the faint sound of a howl erupted. Avalon shivered again, and not just from the cold. Closing her eyes for a moment, she steadied herself and then stepped forward slowly, her bare feet feeling more overstimulated by the second.

Just one foot in front of the other...

#####

"What happened?" The All-Father's question, while innocent on the surface, held a demand underneath that his sons knew all too well.

Loki swallowed. "I'm not entirely sure, Father. One minute Avalon was there in the room, the next...well, she was just gone. But it was not intentional; I saw her face before she vanished. She could not control it."

"So what exactly do you propose to do?" was the next question, and it was one Loki was fully anticipating.

He smiled easily. "Avalon has a...friend here. He claims his ship can locate her, wherever she has traveled to. I intend to go with him and find her."

"Why not just use the Bi-Frost? Surely Heimdall can find her, given that he sees all!" Thor demanded, not willing to let an unknown man do the job of their Gatekeeper.

Loki fought the urge to face palm. Sometimes...

Odin turned towards his eldest, noticing the reaction of Loki and knowing exactly what triggered it. "Thor, Avalon could be anywhere in space and time; that is the normal wandering of the Time Lords. Heimdall is limited to the present, although he can see across all the realms. If she's not in the present time, Heimdall cannot find her."

"That's why it took me so long to find her in the first place," Loki explained quietly. "She and I were never in the same time period for long enough. She kept passing through."

"I suppose that makes some sense," Thor responded, considering the explanation. He turned towards Loki, his eyes searching. "Brother, do you trust this man that claims to be a friend of Avalon?"

"He has not given me a reason to doubt him," Loki informed Thor. "He seems genuinely concerned about his friend's safety, and honestly wants to help find her. I have the same goals in mind."

"And, I suppose, if he did act dastardly," Thor jumped in, "The two of us could take him on in any fight."

Loki nearly rolled his eyes. If that was how his brother was approaching this...

"Thor, I will not risk both of you going on a foolhardy errand with a stranger we know very little about." Odin's voice cut through the banter. His one eye looked straight at Loki. "Loki, you may go to save Avalon Kimmeldottir. But I will not have both my sons in harm's way."

"But Father!" Thor protested. "What if there is danger?"

"Are you suggesting your brother is not capable of protecting himself?" Odin asked, raising his eyebrow.

"But anything could happen on this fool's errand!" Thor demanded.

"Which is why it is stupid to drag both of us along into a mess we cannot predict the outcome of, Brother," Loki told him, trying to reassure Thor. Secretly, on the inside, he was thrilled. Finally, a chance to not have his older brother mess things up for him. He was tired of always playing second fiddle, of never being good enough. The last thing he needed was for the Doctor to somehow think Thor would be 'better' for Lonni. He paused, turning to his Father. "I will ask the Warriors Three to accompany me." Silently, he mentally left Sif off. He had no intention of reigniting that ball of wax. "Does that work to your satisfaction, Father?"

"I am satisfied with that suggestion," Odin broadly stated. "Now go, Loki. May the Norns guide you well in your quest."

"Thank you, Father," Loki said, bowing slightly. "I shall return as fast as I am able." Turning on his heel, he walked out of the throne room, energy coursing through his body.

####################

The Doctor rapidly moved from location to location within the TARDIS, having placed the necklace on a scanner. Twisting wheels and pushing a couple buttons, he set out a rapid search pattern for Avalon's energy signature. If they got lucky...

He didn't want to think about the chances of them failing. Just the possibility of losing his friend, so soon after having to give up Donna, was heart-breaking. He did not like travelling alone, although he had done a fair bit of it in the past few years. He sighed, running a hand rapidly through his hair. One of these days, his hearts were going to break one time too many, after one goodbye too many, and he might never be able to recover.

But now, in this moment, he had a chance to save someone. And he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers. Not again.

Suddenly, the TARDIS whined with a sharp pitched noise. Looking down, the Doctor realized that he had been clutching one of the levers very tightly. Quickly, he let go of it, looking upwards.

"Sorry, old girl," he breathed. "I was just thinking about things. You know how that can get."

He felt the air hum gently with a foreign source, and smiled. Clearly, Loki was using magic to try and find him. Perhaps they could get things started after all...

#########

Loki brushed the air with his fingertips, trying to locate the Doctor's ship. Surely, if it was here I would have found it by now...

The possibility of the Doctor leaving without him crossed his mind, but he did his best to squash it. He would not have...at least, not the man he thought he knew. He saw the questionable glances from the Warriors Three and the silent consideration that his magic skills were not up to their standards, and rapidly closed his eyes, concentrating hard. Surely he's here somewhere...

"Looking for me, were you?" The voice cut through the silence, and Loki smiled without opening his eyes. He could feel the air tense behind him as the gathered Warriors noticed the Doctor for the first time. The Time Lord slid next to Loki, cautiously eying the three other men. "I really hope they're friends of yours," he murmured.

"Friends is not the word I would use," Loki muttered back. "However, they are coming with us...if you'll take them. My father will not let Thor come. Too dangerous, evidently."

"I really shouldn't be all that surprised," the Doctor groused. "Ah well. Might as well carry on and all of that." He turned towards the Warriors and nodded slowly. "Gentlemen, if you would follow me please, we can begin..."

##########

She stumbled for an instant, fighting her loss of balance. The endless wind continued, and Avalon did her best to not panic. Not yet. The cave was still on the horizon, and she was going to make it there. In one piece. Dammit, she was not about to just roll over and...

Suddenly, recognition hit her. She knew this place, this world from somewhere. The crashing feeling of déja-vu crashed over her, and Avalon almost crouched down to avoid the headache. A hiss escaped her lips.

Footsteps in the distance made her look up in anticipation...which rapidly turned into dread. Tall, blue figures crested the horizon and slowly approached her. Even with the weather, Avalon felt her blood freeze colder.

Jotunns. She was truly in over her head...

###########

"This...box is your ship?" Volstagg demanded, staring at it with a look of disdain and disinterest. "Surely, this must be some sort of trickery."

"Perhaps we should leave you here, Volstagg," Fandral said, smiling slightly. "You could hardly fit through one of the doors."

Hogun, saying nothing, simply observed the box with a look of interest. Loki mentally groaned and fought the urge to lay his face in his hands once again.

The Doctor, used to people being confused, gestured at the TARDIS before them. "I'm sure all of your questions will be answered as soon as you climb aboard her." Without a backwards glance, he opened the door and went in. Loki, without hesitation, followed...and stopped directly inside, eyes flickering over every single exposed inch of the surface.

The Doctor turned and smiled at the look on his face. "Impressed?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Loki stepped towards the raised area, covered with circles and levers and various other gadgets. He tried his best to comprehend them, but failed miserably. Behind him, he heard Volstagg call out. "By Odin's beard, Doctor! Your ship is..."

"Bigger on the inside," The Doctor spoke in unison with the stunned warrior. "I've never heard that one before." Loki, looking up, saw the sarcasm in the other man's eyes and smiled slightly. At least someone else had no patience for Volstagg.

Volstagg, completely missing the sarcasm, beamed at the Doctor. "This ship of yours is absolutely wonderful, Doctor!" he proclaimed. "Shall we journey onwards?"

"I believe we shall," the Doctor responded, grinning. "You might want to sit down, gentlemen, because this part can get a little bumpy..."

He pressed a couple buttons, and the ground exploded with a bang. The TARDIS reentered the time stream. Thrown to the ground by the sudden movement, the warriors held on desperately to anything. Loki, feeling a rush that was completely uncharacteristic of his normal calmness, stood strongly next to the raised area. A stupid grin lit up his face, and for a second he just closed his eyes and relaxed, enjoying the moment. This was living; for the first time since he had meddled in Thor's coronation, he felt honestly and truly unburdened.

The Doctor looked up from his driving for an instant and saw Loki's face. A thought crossed his mind, of the possibilities and the adventures they could have together...

The screen above him blared, having located something close to Lonni's match. Fervently, the Doctor locked onto it, swinging the TARDIS around mid-air. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread piercing his very soul in the instant. All he could do was pray this would work...


End file.
